betweene Roane and Diepe called Totes and in like sort in all the Innes of those parts before the ciuill warre assoone as passengers lighted from their horses the Hoast gaue them water to wash and bread and wine for the French haue not the patience to expect their supper without some refection Then at supper the table was serued with Mutton a Capon or Pullet Patridges and like meates with a kind of banquet as in Summer Apples Cherries and Grapes and in Winter Chessenuts Rice Raysons and stewed Prunes Then they gaue their guests cleane sheetes drying them at the fier in their presence and in the morning gaue them for breakfast some buttered tostes or motsell of meate and for all this together with horsemeate each man paid some twenty two or twenty fiue soulz as likewise the bating at noone for horse and man cost each some ten soulz After the ciuill warre I passed through these parts and commonly each meale paid twelue or fifteene soulz with worse interertainment and for breakefasts paid seuerally but no great rate Towards the confines of Flanders the Hoasts onely couer the table and a side table vpon which euerie passenger hath his glasse for the French are curious not to drinke in another mans cup and the Hoasts are onely to bee paid for this seruice Otherwise at times of eating they call the Cookes dwelling neere the Innes who bring the best meates they haue and when the guests haue chosen their meate and agreed for the price they carry it backe to dresse it and so send it warme with sawces In generall through the Cities of France passengers seldome dine at their Innes but with some companions goe to the Tauernes or Cookes shops but at night they must eate with the Hoast that giues them beds where they shall haue cleane sheetes and see them dried before their faces but they are of course cloth and very few chambers are priuate but most haue three or foure beds wherein they lye not single but for the most part with bedfellowes Also the guests as well Merchants and Gentlemen as those of common sort eate at an ordinary table and for supper commonly large with diuers roasted meates each man payes some fifteene soulz He that hiers a chamber in Cities which he may haue well furnished at Paris for some two Crownes a moneth he must buy his meate at Cookes shops which are frequent and very cleanly neither is it any disgrace as with vs to buy a morsell of meate there and to agree for the price before it bee eaten And they that hier chambers can haue no better conueniency for diet either at Paris or in other Cities But hee that stayes long in a Citie may agree in a Citizens house or an Inne for his diet and lodging by the yeere which hee may haue at Paris in extraordinary sort for some one hundred fifty Crownes yeerely and ordinarily for lesse and at Rone for one hundred twenty or one hundred Crownes and in many Cities for eighty Crownes and in many good Innes for sixty Crownes yeerely Drunkennesse is reprochfull among the French and the greater part drinke water mingled with wine and alwaies French wines not Sacke or Spanish wines which are sold as Phisicke onely by Apothecaries or other forraigne Wines whereof I remember not to haue seene any in the Northerne parts of France Yet Marriners Souldiers and many of the common sort vsed to drinke Perry and Syder to very drunkennes yea I haue seene many drink wine with like intemperance and when these kinds of men sit at drinking they vse much mirth and singing in which art they take great delight as the French in generall are by nature chearefull and liuely Women for the most part and virgins alwaies except by stealth they offend against the custome vse to drinke water except it be in the Prouinces yeelding Perry and Syder which all sorts vse to drinke without exception And at Paris I remember to haue seene a poore woman to beg a cup of water which being giuen her she drunke it off and went away merily as if she had receiued a good almes CHAP. III. Of England touching the particular subiects of the first Chapter THE Longitude of England extends nine degrees and a halfe from the meridian of thirteene degrees and a halfe to that of twenty three degrees and the latitude extends fixe degrees from the paralell of fifty degrees and a halfe to that of fifty sixe degrees and a halfe Learned Camden whom I gladly follow in this description of England makes the circuite of all Britany to be one thousand eight hundred thirty six miles This is the most famous Iland of all the World and is diuided into two Kingdomes that of England and that of Scotland England is subeuided into diuers Counties or Shyres and Ilands 1 In the description whereof I will first begin with Cornmall of old inhabited by the Danmonij It is for the most part a Mountanous Country but the soyle is not vnfirtile besides that the people incredibly fatten the same with laying vpon it the owes of the Sea called Orwood and a certaine mud The Sea coast as Camden writeth whom I follow is beautified with very many Townes which haue much shipping The inward parts abound with a rich vaine of Mettals where wonderfull quantitie of most pure Tinne is digged vp and not onely Tinne but Gold and Siluer with it and Dyamonds formed into Angles by nature it selfe which we call Cornish Dyamonds Eringo grows plentifully all along the Sea side and with great labour of the Husbandman they haue such aboundance of Corne as great quantity of wheate is yeerely exported thence into Spaine Also the inhabitants make great gaine by the fishing of Pilchards which they salt and drie in the smoke and export an huge multitude of them yeerely into Spaine and Italy Here is the famous Mount Michael of old called Dinsol and by the inhabitants the Rock Cana. This Rocke is somewhat high and craggy vpon the top whereof is a Chappell dedicated to Michael the Arch-Angell The Towne Falemouth hath a faire Hauen capeable of very many shippes and most safe from stormes where the Rockes doe fortifie two Castles built by Henry the eight and this Hauen is by Ptolomy called Ostium Cenionis 2 Deuonshire likewise inhabited by the Danmonij hath fairer Hauens being no lesse rich in the vaines of Tinne and beautified with frequent Townes In no part of England the ground requireth more expence for in many places it is barren till it bee fatted with the Owes or sand of the Sea which makes it wonderfully fruitfull but in the remotest parts from the Sea this sand is dearely bought The Riuer Plimus giues the name to the Towne Plimmouth of old called Sutton which grew from a fishers Village to a faire Towne by the commoditie of the Hauen being most safe euen for great ships as well in the said Riuer as in another called Tamera Not farre from thence is the
in the morning to twelue We come out at first tenne companions in this iourney but at the very comming out 〈◊〉 six of them left vs despairing to passe against a contrary winde in a foule rainy day and their feet sticking fast in the dirt and they mocked at our obstinacy in going Within a while my selfe was wet to the skinne and my shooes at euery step were almost to the off so as I was forced to binde them on with foure points neither did any of vs looke backe at his fellow to helpe him if hee could not follow and if I should haue fallen into the Sea I am confident none of them would haue come back to succour me After we had gone halfe a mile one of our foure companions being a young man with a blacke beard able body would not goe one foot further though he had but one Stiuer in his purse and was forced to borrow money of vs that he might stay in a poore Ale-house When we came to Aldernsea the Free-booters spies came to the Inne gaped vpon vs so as though I were wet to the skin yet I durst not pull off any thing to dry sest my inward garments better then my vpper should betray my disguise neither durst I call for wine and spend freely lest they should thinke I had store of money Each of vs paied seuen Stiuers for his dinner Here another of our companions left vs being so tired as hee went to bed without eating one bit So as now I had onely one companion left called Anthony a man of little stature and a Citizen of Emden We so be free of this dangerous iourney went forward and as we came out of the Village the Free-booters spies came close to vs and beheld vs narrowly but seeing vs all couered with dirt they tooke vs for poore men and a prey vnfit to be followed Wee gathering vp strength went on till at last wee were so weary as hauing no strength to chuse our way wee cast away our staues and went almost vp to the knees in dirt in the lower way At last hauing gone one mile as me thought wondrous long from one of the clocke in the afternoone to fiue wee came to Emden where my selfe entring the gate could not stand till the Souldiers writ our names but had lyen downe on the ground if they had not giuen mee a seat Now being out of all danger of the Free-booters in giuing my name I wrote my selfe an English-man the standers by not a little wondring that I had put my self to this dangerous passage And truly this iourney if it were free from all danger yet the ill diet and lodging would yeeld trouble enough for which I appeale to Lipsius who hath pleasantly written of the entertainement in West-Phalen and Oldenburg The Citie of Emden lies in the vtmost border of the Empire and is onely diuided by the Riuer Emsz from the vnited Prouince of Netherland and by an Inland Sea from West Freez-land being one of them The Countrey about Emden aboundeth with villages and from a Tower at Goricome a man may see at once vpon a saire day twenty two walled Townes Not farre from this City neere 〈◊〉 is the place where the Duke of Alūa defeated the forces of Lodwick of Nassaw his Dutch-men refusing to fight except they were first paied All the fields about Emden are drowned in winter and the City lying vpon the Sea for want of fresh waters they dresse most of their meat with raine water The aire is very vnhealthfull but the City is fairely built of bricke and the Citizens are very curteous On the South side the Riuer Emsz washeth the City with his salt streames on which side is the Hauen and the Citizens are said to haue some three score ships of a hundred tunnes a peece and some six hundred barkes of their owne In the Church-yard on this side many peeces of Ordinance are laid towards Leere and Dunort the Counts Fort and the like are laid vpon the Hauen and some places of aduantage for the City hath no walles on this side On the West side beyond the water lyeth Marish ground to the mouth of the Sea and vpon this side is a strong old Castle On the North side the City is compassed with a wall of earth and deepe ditches full of water and there be two strong gates Belgar-port and New-port without which the fields are Fenny On this side there is a passage by boat to the suburbes on the East side where the fields without the towne are faire pastures in summer but all ouerflowed in winter and vpon the Rampier of the wall are many Winde-mils The City is of a round forme if it were not somewhat longer from the East to the West At Emden they pay ordinarily six Stiuers a meale three stiuers for a quart of English beere eleuen Stiuers for a quart of Spanish wine thirteene Stiuers a quart of Rhenish wine and seuen Stiuers for French wine my selfe paid for supper and breakfast twenty three Stiuers CHAP. IIII. Of my iourney from Emden in Germany to Leyden in Holland and through the vnited Prouinces of the Low-Countries ON Thursday the twenty seuen of October in the yeere 1592 I tooke ship after dinner at Emden being to saile into West Freesland one of the vnited Prouinces and paied for my passage tenne Stiuers The same night wee cast anchor neere Vrspenhurn a Fort seated beyond the Emsz and belonging to the States of the vnited Prouinces and beyond this Port towards Plaunders on the same side of the Emsz lieth the Territory of the City Groning seated in an Iland rich in pastures and at this time gouerned by a Spanish Garrison which the Citizens had willingly receiued though the States after besieged this City and droue out the Spaniards and vnited the City to the rest As we lay at Anchor two little Ilands lay on the North side one subiect to Emden the other to Groning and beyond them lay the German Sea On Friday wee set saile with a scant winde and towards night were left vpon a Flat vulgarly called Gat where the water forsaking vs we walked out of the ship vpon the sand compassed round about with the Sea till the same flowing backe againe our ship floated On Saterday we set saile againe and towards night rested vpon a like Flat expecting the floud Three of these Flats are in this Inland sea and there be two like Flats in the Inland sea beteene Freesland and Holland At last wee landed on Sunday in Freesland at the Village Aniou lying neere the Sea shore whether wee hired a sledge for eight stiuers and were drawne thither ouer the yce and snow After we had dined for twelue stiuers each man whereof more then halfe was reckoned for drinke we went in a skeut by water in foure houres space one mile to Dockam and each man paid for his passage foure stiuers and a halfe we could not passe
by waggon the high way being then drowned Nothing were more pleasant nothing more quicke then Sea-voyages if a man might promise himselfe a good wind and a reasonable gale but through contrariety of winds and tempests they commonly proue tedious This small voyage which afflicted vs foure daies might haue beene passed in sixe houres if the winds had fauoured vs. And this hope of a short passage caused vs to make no prouision of victuals so as the Barke being gouerned by one Mariner and a boy who had nothing but cheese and musty bread to liue vpon and so could not much releeue vs each houre of these foure daies seemed a yeere vnto vs. Dockam a City of West Freesland little in circuit is in two places diuided with water which at this time ouer flowed into the very houses The wall is strong with rampiers of earth and the houses here as in all these parts of Netherland are built of bricke Here I paid for my supper twenty stiuers eating at an Ordinary but the company sitting at the fire and drinking after supper all vseth to be diuided equally whether a man drinke or not The first of Nouember we went by water in sixe houres space two miles to Lewerden hauing on each side the water fertile pastures and passing by two Forts and each man paid for his passage three stiuers The City is faire and well fortified and William Count of Nassau cousin to Count Maurice and Gouernour of Friesland had his residence in the same The streetes are large and diuided with water and the houses are fairely builded of bricke The City hath no Suburbs and is of a round forme but the waters diuiding the streetes slowly or not at all moued are in this City as almost in all other of these Prouinces subiect to stinking In the midst of the City there is a dam tolet in water at pleasure which in this place and two miles further is salt in tast Passengers entering the City leaue their swords with the guard of souldiers and receiue them backe when they goe out of the Towne The Villages hereabouts paid yeerely contribution to the Spanish garison of Groning left they should breake in and spoile them Here they say the first sermon of reformed religion was made in the Monastery of the Iacobinet and here I paid for my supper foureteene stiuers From Lewerden we went by water from eight a clocke in the morning to fiue in the afternoone two-miles to Froniker an Vniuersity of Friesland lately renewed and one mile to the City Harlingen and we paid six stiuers for our passage Entering this City we left our swords with the guard of souldiers who restored them to vs when wee went away It is a little City and lieth in length from the East to the West but is somewhat more narrow towards the North where the houses are thinly built On the west and North sides lies an arme of the Sea comming out of the German Sea and here inclosed with the continent and Ilands On the South and East sides without the gates are faire pastures in a large plaine I lodged in an Englishmans house the chiefe Host of the City who either dispising England and Englishmen or too much respecting his masters of Friesland gaue me such entertainment as I tooke him for one of the old Picts for hauing placed his Gentlemen of Friesland at one table he called me to the second and seeing that I tooke it in ill part lest I should no lesse dislike my lodging he intreated a gentleman of Friesland to admit me partner of his bed but I hearing the gentleman condition with him about the cleannesse of my body and linnen for very scorne would not trouble his worship but chose rather to lie vpon a bench And it was most ridiculous that this Host excused himselfe to me as hauing for countries sake made bold with me whom he had neuer seene before I paid for my supper and breakefast with wine thirty stiuers and one of my consorts drinking no wine paid sixeteene whereof nine was for beere From Harlingen I went by the said Inland Sea vulgarly called Zwidersea foureteene miles to Amsterdam and paid eight stiuers for my passage Some of our passengers going onely to Enchusen paid fiue stiuers for by couenant betweene the Cities the ships must land their passengers at Enchusen and there receiue such new passengers as they find and one ship at least is bound daily to make this passage From the said Harlingen a City of Friesland wee passed in foure houres saile to Enchusen a City of Holland which is fortified with a wall of earth and strong rampiers and lieth in length from the North to the South The Hauen lies on the East side and the new City was then building towards the West side This City lying betweene the mouth of the German sea and Amsterdam another City of Holland and in the beginning of the warre taking part with the Prince of Orange forced Amsterdam by stopping all supply of victuals to yeeld to the said Prince Hauing made short stay here we tooke ship againe and sayling from siue a clocke in the euening to twelue in the night in the same Inland sea we entered the Riuer Tay where we cast anchor till foure in the morning and then setting sayle passed one mile in that Riuer before sixe of the clocke and landed at Amsterdam Fiue streetes of this City are diuided with water the Riuer Tay flowes like a large and calme sea on the North side where is a safe port the trafficke being great in this City and at Midleburg since the passage to Antwerpe was stopped Vpon the Hauen lics a field or market place called Campplata where the Citizens vse to behold their friends going to sea and returning home From this place towards the South lies Warmerstrat a long and large street betweene two Riuers which part of the City is called the new Ditch The Merchants in summer meet vpon the Bridge and in winter they meet in the New Church in very great number where they walke in two rankes by couples one ranke going vp and another going downe and there is no way to get out of the Church except they slip out of the doores when in one of those rankes they passe by them On the East side of the City there is a wall of stone higher then the City hauing a pleasant walke vpon it In the same place are houses for exercise of shooting in gunneo and crosse-bowes beyond this wall there is another of earth and betweene these wals the new City was plotted out where of few houses were then built but since I heare it is fully finished Likewise on the South and West sides there be two like wals and between them the plot of the said new City in which many faire houses were then built The fields on all sides without the gates being fenny and drowned with water doe make the City more strong but
we walked on foot one mile to Midleburge where being inuited by our friends as we were at Vlishing we supped on free cost The twelfth day wee passed by Sea in two houres space to Armuren where wee cast anchor not without feare of Spanish Pirats who comming with small boates out of the Castle Wouda did then many robberies vpon this Sea The thirteenth day in the morning wee sailed nine miles to the Iland Plat where a Man of warre sent out by the States against these Pirats did lie at anchor vnder the guard whereof we also lay at anchor the night following The fourteenth day in the morning hauing alwaies a faire winde wee sailed eight milcs to Delphs hauen in Holland where we left our Barke and each man payed twelue stiuers for his passage and my selfe gaue three stiuers to a Marriner that had attended me From hence my selfe and three consorts hired a Wagon for 18 stiuers to the Hage where I payed for my supper a Flemish guilden and seuenteene stiuers The fiftenth day of December which after the new stile was Christmas day that Feast by the old stile falling on the twentie fiue of December my selfe and three consorts hired a Wagon for two guldens for two long miles to Leyden From Leyden at a set hower euery day boates passe to all the next Cities and we entring the boat that went for Amsterdam payed each of vs 6 stiuers for our passage First wee passed fiue miles vpon the Lake called Harlam Meare which Lake is much subiect to Tempests Our boate was then drawne by force of hands ouer a Damme into a Channell of water in which we passed two miles and so came to Amsterdam The boates are thus drawne out of the Lake into the Channell by a priuiledge granted to Harlam because that Citie had spent much money in the workes for conueyance of waters And this was granted to them to the ende that this passage being shut vp to Barkes of greater burthen the Merchants wares passing by land should be forced to come by Harlam We lodged in a English Merchants house at Amsterdam and payed eight stiuers for each meale The seuenteenth of December we entred a little ship to saile out of Holland into West-Freesland but being almost frozen in with yce after wee had sailed two dayes and a night with great danger through huge pieces of yce and were the second night also compassed therewith and had been forced to lie at anchor a good space we hardly arriued the third day at Horne in North Holland which Citie is fiue miles distant from Amsterdam and each man payed ten stiuers for our passage and two stiuers for the vse of a little cabbin in the ship The ninteenth day we would needs go on foot two miles as long as ten English miles to Enchnsen because they asked foure guldens and a half for a Wagon And in the mid way it hapned that we light vpon a sledg which wee 4 consorts hired for 20 stiuers and therin wee were all carried but for my part I paied 5 stiuers more for the cariage of my necessaries And we could not sufficiently maruell at our first setting forth that the Villages should be so frequent in such an obscure Countrey as wee could hardly see how they were parted one from the other for halfe the way at least From hence we sailed with a very faire wind in three houres space two miles to Stauern a Village seated in West Freezland and each man paid ten stiuers for his passage foure for his supper and foure for beere The next day we passed on foot one mile of Freezland which miles are exceeding long to Warcome and we hired two Clownes for two guldens to carry our necessaries which Clownes drinking stoutly all the night we were forced beyond our bargaine to pay for their intemperance which wrong we could not auoid though we much repined at it Early in the morning we passed by water one mile ouer a Lake to Bolsworth and each man paid two stiuers and a halfe for his passage and eight stiuers and a halfe for his dinner In the afternoone we hired a boat for three miles to Lewerden and each man paid sixe stiuers for his passage and thirty foure stiuers for his supper and breakefast with wine The next day in the morning we might haue passed to Groning in a common boat each man paying twelue stiuers but because the couetous Marriners had ouerloaded it and the winds were boisterous we foure consorts hired a priuate boate for seuen guldens and a halfe The first day we passed by water fiue miles to Kaltherberg that is the cold Inne with a very faire wind but so boysterous as we were in no small feare Here each man paid twelue stiuers for his supper and seuen stiuers for his drinke while in good fellowship we sate at the fier after supper The next day we passed in the same boat two miles to Groning in a great tempest of wind besides that in the midst of the Lake we lost our Rudder being thereby in great danger had not the waues of the water by Gods mercy driuen it to vs. Here we paid eight stiuers each man for a plentifull dinner but without wine In the afternoone we passed by water two miles to Delphs I le and each man paid forty stiuers for the hier of the boate and twenty foure stiuers for supper and breakefast and fire in our priuate chamber From hence we sayled with a most faire wind in two houres space two miles to Emden the first City of the German Empire seated in East Friezland and each man paid sixe stiuers for his passage and as much for his dinner In the afternoone we passed in a boat hired for foure guldens whereof each man paid ten stiuers for his part three miles to a little City Lyre and by the way passed by the Fort Nordlire in which the Earle of Emden held his Court. We rested at Lyre this night and the next day being Christmas day by the old stile and each man paid sixteene stiuers for each supper and eight stiuers for one dinner The Spanish Garisons daily sent out free-booters into these parts with the permission of the Earle of Emden for his hatred to the Citizens of Emden who lately had shut him out of their City and of the Earle of Oldenburge for his hatred against the Citizens of Breme Therefore we being here many passengers did at last obtaine of the Earle of Emden that we might hier his souldiers to conduct vs safely for some few miles To these souldiers we gaue twenty one dollers yet when at the three miles end we came to the Village Stickhausen and were now in the greatest danger they as hired to goe no further would needes returne till each of vs gaue them a German gulden to conduct vs onely to the next village being the confines of the Counties of Emdens and Oldenburg To which they were perswaded not so much by our prayers as by
and haue plentie of milke aswell of cowes as of goates In stead of bread they eate vnleauened cakes baked on the cinders which commonly are mingled with a kind of seede They feede commonly on hens and rice either sod alone or with a hen or mutton in a vessell full of holes without any liquor put in when it is set on the fier so as there being no other iuce but that of the meat the rice is made very thick Within these narrow bounds is their most costly feeding restrained In time of the yeere they feed much vpon fruites and keepe grapes all winter so as you would iudge them fresh They abhor from swines flesh as the Iewes do for the rest I did neuer see nor heare by relations of others that the richest of them did affect any other variety of meate then I haue named and I haue often seene Men of the better sort eating out of the seething pot without any dish set before them The aboue named flesh of Muttons is very sauoury and the sheepe of Syria and the adioyning parts of Asia are of such greatnesse as many times a taile of them hanging to their heeles and very woolly and fat and close wouen in many plights doth weigh thirty or more pounds They haue also Venyson for in the woodes there be many wild Goates dispersed and I haue seene a kind of fallow Deare in Syria called Gazelle of which kind I haue seene some brought out of Barbary into England And they much delighting in fruites haue excellent of many kindes aud in great quantity namely Abricots and muske Melones and diuers kinds of Pumpions whereof one called Angouria as bigge as our Pumpions is exceeding full of a very cold iuyce being most pleasant for the coolenesse in any great heat which coolenesse though I take to be vnwholsome for one sicke of an ague yet my selfe almost wasted with the burning of that disease did vehemently desire to eate of this fruite and found it nothing hurtfull or rather healthfull to me In the Hauen of Alexandretta or Scanderona a Graecian the Master of a Venetian ship gaue me a present of foure or fiue Apples which he called as they vulgarly doe the Apple of Adam and I neuer in my life tasted so delicete a-fruite It was of forme like a long Peare or rather for the crookednesse like a Cucumer of the lesser sort and it had a most thinne skinne of colour like a Peeches skinne the least part whereof being opened the iuyce was easily to be sucked out which was very pleasant and not much vnlike to the iuyce of a figge newly pulled from the tree If I should particularise all the kindes of pleasant fruites I might be infinite therein The Turkes when they haue eaten not while they eate goe like good fellowes together and like Horses at once drinke for that meale as greedily as if the water were turned into wine which kind of drinke those that are zealous of their Law and those that iourney by the high way more specially and all Turkes in generall most commonly vse for which cause those that iourney vse to pitch their tents vpon the banks of pure fountains or running waters which they no lesse know or as curiously search out as we doe the best Innes or Tauernes Besides commonly they haue a cup if I may so call it being a purse of leather that opens or shuts with strings hanging at their Horses saddle pomell which as they sit on Horsebacke they put downe into the fountaines and draw water to drinke not omitting to taste a good spring of water no more then we would a peece of rare Wine Their water especially in Prouinces lying neere the Sunne is in this property contrary to ours that it loosens the body no lesse then the rice binds it In Cities diuers kinds of drinkes are to be sold some esteemed as much as wine with vs. One kind I remember presented vnto vs in Palestine by the Sobasha of Ramma which was made of medicinall hearbs to purifie and coole the blood and they drinke it hot so as it seemes a very physicall potion They drinke sugar or hony mingled with water and water sodden with grapes rosewater and hony and they haue whole Tunnes of the iuyce of Cytrons and Limons which they willingly drinke and all these kinds are to be sold in their Ctties Wine is forbideen by Mahomets law which permits Aquauite vulgarly called Harech which Aquauite they often drinke euen to drunckennes And whether it be out of the common error of mankinde to desire forbidden things or out of the licentiousnes of Souldiers which euery day growes greater then other howsoeuer in Idlenes they obey theire lawe in not planting Vines yet not only the Ianizaries but euen the religious men will drinke wine largely euen to drunkennesse with Christians as well Ambassadours as others yea if Christian passengers carry wine by the way for their owne drinking and haue a Ianizary to protect them yet they will familiarly come to drinke with them and if they haue no protector they will take their wine and whatsoeuer they haue else at their pleasure so as their false Prophet hath onely prouoked vice by forbidding it Many Prouinces yeeld rich wines the chiefe wherof are the Greek wines which notwithstanding seemed to me for the most part to be corrasiue fretting the stomacke and entrals and as well the white as red wines of Mount Lybanus and Antilibanus which are carried to Tripoli and as farre as Haleppo the wines about Ierusalem being sharpe and small but the best wine of all is the white wine of Palorme in Natolia which is like the Spanish sacke but more pleasant to the taste being not so sweete as the Canary wines nor so harsh and strong as the Sherry sacke This Wine is carried to Constantinople where also good wines grow planted by Christians there but this is most esteemed For onely Christians plant Vines and make wine howsoeuer the Turkes are content to take part of them at the Christians charge The Turkish Souldiers being to fight if they can find no wine drinke the iuyce of blacke poppy called Opium to raise their spirits to a kind of fury thinking them selnes made more valiant thereby For howsoeuer we thinke this hearbe especially taken largely to be dangerous for the health yet there is not a Turke from the highest to the lowest who doth not as it were daily vse it nothing being more frequently sowed nothing more plentifully growing especially in Natolia nothing more easily finding a buyer yea if their Cammels and Dromidaries faile by the way or vpon necessity must goe further then they vse to iourney as sometimes it fals out in Armies and other Iourneys then they giue them this hearbe by which they report their spirits so to be stirred vp as they will goe till they fall downe dead In this vast Empire I did see no Iunes no not in their Cities and a man shall rarely find any beds
my studies at Bazell Therefore not to bee wanting to my selfe I hyred a horse and made this cozenage knowne to the Arch-Dukes officer desiring him to exclude my debtor from the priuiledge of the Monastery But this Dutch Gentleman finding mee to speake Latine readily tooke mee for some Schoole-master and despised both mee and my cause so as I returned to the Citie weary and sad hauing obtained no fauor But a better starre shined there on mee for the Consuls that day had determined in Court that my debtors horses should bee sought out and deliuered to mee and the Lawyers and Clearkes were so courteous to me as neither they nor any other would take the least reward of mee though I pressed them to receiue it Then my debtors brother being loth the horses should be carried away paid me my mony and I gladly tooke my iourney thence towads Bazel This integrity of the Dutch Magistrates which especially in the Cities of the reformed Religion hauing found by many testimonies I cannot sufficiently commend and curtesie of the Dutch towards strangers I haue thought good in this place thankefully to acknowledge Vpon the Lake Acrontiis vulgarly Boden-sea that is vpper sea I passed by boate foure miles to Costnetz and paied for my passage three Batzen Betweene this vpper sea and the lower sea vulgarly Vnden-sea this Citie Costnetz lyeth on the banke lengthwise and is subiect to Ferdinand of Inspruch Arch-Duke of Austria whose base sonne hath also the Bishopricke of that City which is famous by a Councell held there whither Iohn Hus was called with the Emperours safe conduct in the yeere 1414 yet was there condemned of Heresie and burned On the West side of the Citie within the walles in the Monastery called Barfussen Cloyster is the Tower wherein he was imprisoned and without the walles on the left hand as you goeout is a faire meadow and therein a stone vpon the high-way to which he was bound being burnt the same yeere 1414 in the Month of Iuly Where also his fellow Ierom of Prage was burnt in September the yeere following both their ashes being cast into the Lake lest the Bohemians should carry them away The Senate-house in which this Councell was held is of no beauty When the Emperour Charles the fifth besieged this Citie it was yeelded to the hands of Ferdinand King of Bohemia and brother to Charles who made the Citizens peace for them Heere each man paid eight Batzen a meale and for wine betweene meales eight creitzers the measure Hence I went by boat two miles to Styga and paied for my passage two Batzen We tooke boat at the end of the Lake close by the City where the Rheine comming againe out of the Lake and taking his name therein lost doth runne in all narrow bed and when wee had gone by water some houre and a halfe wee entred the lower Lake called Vnden-sea Neere Costnetz is an Iland called little Meinow and in this lower lake is another Iland called Reichnow of the riches the Monastery therof hauing of old so much lands as the Monkes being sent to Rome vsed to lodge euery night in their owne possessions This Iland is said to beare nothing that hath poyson so as any such beast dieth presently in it and in the Monastery are some reliques of Saint Marke for which as they say the Venetians haue offered much money VVriters report that of old a Monke thereof climing vp a ladder to looke into a huge vessell of wine and being ouercome with the vapour fell into the same with a great bunch of keyes in his hand and that shortly after this wine was so famous as Princes and Nobles and many sickly persons vsually sent for the same the cause of the goodnes being not knowne to proceed of the putrified flesh till the vessell being empty the keyes and the Friers bones were found therein the Monkes till then thinking that their fellow had secretly gone to some other Monastery of that Order yet the Dutch in my company reported that this happened in a Monastery not farre off called Salmanschwell By the way was a stately Pallace belonging to the Fugares of Augsburg On the East-side out of the walles of Styga lye woody fields on the West-side the Iland Horue and pleasant Hils full of vines and corne In this City the Bishop of Costnetz hath his Pallace who is Lord of the two Ilands Meinow and Reichnow and hath very large possessions in these parts mingled with the territories of other Lords And this City is vpon the confines of Germany and Sweitzerland Hence I passed by boat two miles to Schaffhausen and paied for my passage two Batzen The swistnes of the Rheine made the miles seeme short and this riuer againe loseth his name in the said lower Lake and when it comes or rather violently breakes out of it then resumes it againe This City is one of the confederate Cantons of Sweitzerland Not farre from this City on the South side in the riuer Rheine is a great fall of the waters ouer a rocke some fifty cubits downeward passing with huge noyse and ending all in fome And for this cause the Barkes are forced to vnlade here and to carry their goods by carts to the City and from the City to imbarke them againe which yeeldeth great profit to the City by taxations imposed on the goods which must necessarily be landed there On both sides the riuer as we came to this City are pleasant hils planted with vines faire pastures with sweet groues The City is round in forme and is washed with the Rheine on the South side and vpon the banke of the riuer within the Towne is a pleasant greene where the Citizens meete to exercise the shooting of the Harquebuze and crosse-Bow where also is a Lynden or Teyle tree giuing so large a shade as vpon the top it hath a kinde of chamber boarded on the floore with windowes on the sides and a cocke which being turned water fals into a vessel through diuers pipes by which it is conueyed thither for washing of glasses and other vses and heere the Citizens vse to drinke and feast together there being sixe tables for that purpose On the same South side is a Monastery with walles and gates like a little City It hath the name of 〈◊〉 that is a sheepe or Schiff that is a ship and Hausse that is a house as of a fold for 〈◊〉 or roade for shippes Here I paid for each meale six batzen For the better vnderstanding of my iourney from Schafhusen to Zurech I will prefix a letter which I wrote to that purpose from Bazel To the Right Worshipfull Master Doctor Iohn Vlmer IN those few houres I staid at Schafhusen you haue made me your Seruant for euer I remember the houres of our conuersation which for the sweetnes thereof seemed minutes to me I remember the good offices you did towards me a stranger with gentlenes if not proper to your selfe yet proper
sea for feare of the abouesaid dangers had sent me by land with command to stay for him at Leyden To bee briefe I went to your mothers house where a seruant opened mee the doore to whom I gaue your Letters but when he scarce looking at me would haue locked the doore I took my Letters againe saying I had promised to deliuer them with my owne hand and so I entred with him and gaue them into the hands of your mother and sister who inquired much after you and so much after my master as I might perceiue you had made friendly mention of me in your Letters They entertained me with much curtesie being thus disguised for my owne seruant and when I went away your mother would needs giue mee six batzen to spend neither would any refusall preuaile but I must needs take them So I set a marke vpon these peeces left I should spend them and am not out of hope ere I die to shew them to you To the purpose at the dore I met your brother whom I had seene at Frankfort and was not a little afraide left for all my disguising he would haue knowne me Let it not trouble you that I tell you another merry accident I had in the same City of Breme Disguised as I was I went to the house of Doctor Penzelius desiring to haue the name of so famous a Diuine written in my stemme-booke with his Mott after the Dutch fashion Hee seeing my poore habite and a booke vnder my arme tooke me for some begging Scholler and spake sharpely vnto me But when in my masters name I had respectiuely saluted him and told him my request he excused his mistaking and with all curtesie performed my desire I will trouble you no longer but hope by some good occasion to imbrace you tell you all the other passages of my iourney In the meane time I go forward to Leyden in Holland you as you do euer loue me and as my soule liue and farewell From Emden the twenty one of October 1592. I paied twenty foure Stiuers for my passage eleuen miles in a waggon from Stode to Breme And the first day after breakefast wee passed three miles to Ford a poore Citie subiect to the Bishop of Breme through wilde fenny and woody grounds The Towne is seated in a Fenne hauing a long paued Causey to passe vnto it and the gate being opened to vs by night each man gaue the Porter two Lubeck shillings and by the way in a village ' each man paied six Fenning for his person At Ford the Bishop of Breme hath a Castle strongly fortified with Rampiers of earth and deepe ditches full of water and here each man paied for his supper three Lubeck shillings and a halfe The waggoner taking me thus disguised as formerly I haue said for a poore Bawre said these words to me in Dutch Du knecht hilff zu tragen die packe hye that is Ho good fellow helpe here to carry this pack I answered ya gar gern yea most willingly and smiling laied my shoulder to the burthen and groned deepely but helped him very little Next morning early by Moone light we passed on three miles through large and wilde woods to a Countrey house and by the way my companions fell in talke of English affaires so foolishly as my laughter though restrained had often betraied me if twi-light had not kept mee from being seene Their ignorance greatly shortned my way with the pleasure I took in their answeres to some such questions propounded by me whereof my selfe had many times beene forced to giue an account to others By the way they shewed mee a Hill called Meineidig of certaine false witnesses of old sinking there into the ground At this Countrey house each man paied for his breakfast three Lubeck shillings and a halfe Then from sixe of the clocke in the morning till nine we passed fiue miles to Breme through an Heath and many huge Woods of Oake hauing towards the South a Fenne of tenne miles length which of the vastnesse and wildenesse is called the Diuels Fenne By the way within a mile of Breme each man paied halfe a Sesling tribute to the officers of the City and from thence wee passed a winding paued Causey to the very City Men may also passe from Hamburg to Breme by water This Citie is one of the Imperiall free Cities and of them which vpon this Sea-coast are called Hans-steten for freedome of trafficke and it is very strongly fortified with high walles of earth and deepe ditches filled with water besides that the Citizens may drowne the Fenny fields almost round about at pleasure The building of this as also of the neighbour Cities is partly of bricke partly of stone and very faire but the streets heere are filthy The Citie is fiue miles distant from the sea And the riuer Visurgis running from the South east to the North VVest by the South west side of the City runneth al the length of the same On the North east side the walles of earth are broad and there bee three faire gates with strong Rampiers Vpon the South West side being compassed all with Fennes there bee no walles In the furthest angle or corner towards the North west where the City growes narrow there is a strong Fort built the gate is within an Iland beyond which lies a plaine of faire pastures Osen-bridge lies not farre hence from which towne great quantity of narrow linnen cloth is brought into England At Breme I paied halfe a Doller for dinner supper and breakfast and a stiebkin or measure of wine extraordinary They had heere also the custome of making strangers free and the same ceremony of giuing salt to sweare by and I confessing that I was not free committed my fine to their censure hoping they would deale better with mee for my poore disguised habit but it saued me nothing the chiefe man saying to mee in Dutch Gutt gesell du must gedult haben es geit gleich bistu knecht oder here deise gewonheit betrefft beyde zu gleich That is good fellow thou must haue patience it is all one whether thou beest a seruant or a master this custome toucheth both alike After dinner taking my iourney from Breme wee passed a mile vpon a stony Causey called Steinweck that is stony way and there each man paied to the officers of Breme a quarter of a Stiuer Then entering the Territory of the Graue that is Count of Oldenburg we passed a mile through faire pastures compassed with ditches of water to a village where each man paid a Sesling to the Count and to this place each man paid for his Waggon fiue groates Here when my companions had drunke their fill and had slept a while in the straw as my selfe did vpon a bench to shun the stinking heat of the stoue we hyred another waggon for three miles paying fifteene groats and that we might more securely passe wee tooke our iourney
cloth as would couer the same with a Rose-noble at the corner of each cloth Others tell a fable of like credit that it was once sold to a Merchant whom they scoffed when he came to take possession bidding him take away the earth he had bought The great reuenew exacted in this straight hath giuen occasion to these and the like fables And in truth if either the King of Suetia or the free City of Lubeck had the possession of this Iland and were fortified therein they might easily command this passage and extort what they list from the Merchants passing that way and perhaps conquer the parts adioyning but the possession thereof were altogether vnprofitable for any Prince whose Territories lie out of the Sound the entrance whereof is forbid by the two foresaid strong Castles But lest I should bee as foolish as they I returne to my purpose And first giue me leaue to mention that there lies a City not farre distant in the Kingdome of Norway which is called London as the chiefe City in England is called Vpon Sunday the twenty six of August in the yeere 1593 I tooke an English ship heere to saile into Prussen hauing first bought for my victuals halfe a lambe for twelue Danish shillings thirty egges for six shillings and some few pots of Spanish wine for forty two Danish shillings with some other small prouisions From Elsinure to Dantzk they reckon eighty English miles Assoone as wee were come out of the harbour wee saw two ships sayling two contrary wayes and yet hauing both a forewind which sometimes happens vpon the shoare as marriners know For of these two contrary winds the one is airy which holds when you are gone into the maine the other is from the earth and in short time faileth at the very shore which euent we presently saw with our eyes one of the ships going fairely on his course the other casting anchor The English ship in which I went was called the Antilope being of one hundred fifty tuns or thereabouts and one Master Bodley was the Master thereof who shewed me manifest signes where his ship in two places had beene struck with lightning the first whereof passed into the pumpe and rent it but comming to the water was by the nature thereof carried vpward and comming out at the top of the pumpe made two little holes then passing to the great Mast rent it and made a great crany therein from the hatches to the top The second struck the top of the said maine Mast and againe rent it in such wise as it would scarcely beare saile till wee might come to Dantzk where the best Mastes are sold at a good rate The first day we sayled in the Baltick sea some fiue miles with a scant winde and cast anchor neere Copenhagen With a faire winde and good gaile Marriners vsually sayle some three Dutch leagues in an houre On Monday early wee sayled along the shore three miles to Falsterboden On Tuesday early wee sayled eighteene miles to the Iland Brentholm and vpon our left hands saw the land in two places and there sounding with our plummet sand of Amber stuck thereunto The same day by noone wee sayled the length of that Iland and vpon Wednesday by three of the clocke in the morning hauing sayled thirty miles we passed by Rose-head being a Promentory 〈◊〉 Dantzk On Thurs-day by eight of the clocke in the morning hauing sayled eighteene miles we came to a Land called Rettell and entered the Port of Meluin where the water was scarce two fadome deepe our ship drawing one fadome and a halfe the entry was narrow and there were many booyes floting vpon shoales sands and the weather being calme we were drawne in by a boate with Oares In like cases ships vse to draw themselues in by the casting and weighing of Anchors with great labour and flow riddance of way From Kettell we passed ten miles and came to the Port of Meluin Iu the aforesaid entry of the Riuer on the right hand towards the West we saw Dantzke seated not farre from the sea shore where it hath a hauen but not so safe as this and towards the North-east in the same place a channell runneth vp to Konigsberg the Court of the Duke of Prussen The Port of Meluin is searce ten foot deepe but our ship passed through the mud like a plow vpon land This port is a little distant from the City on the North-side where we entered by a faire large street called Martgasse lying thence towards the South Prussen of old was subiect to the order of the Teutonicke Knights but by agreement made betweene the King of Poland and the Margraue or Marques of Brandeburg Master of the said order part of the prouince was giuen to the said Marques and his heires with title of Duke vnder homage to the King of Poland with condition that for want of heire male it should returne to the Kingdome of Poland and the other part was then vnited to the said Kingdome but Dantzke and Meluin remained free Cities acknowledging the King of Poland for their Protector for which cause they giue him many customes and permit his Officer to abide in the City ard receiue the same Meluin is a little and faire City lately compassed with new wals and at this time grew rich by the English Merchants hauing their staple in the same They giue good fare for foure grosh a meale and he that paies for two meales in the day may besides haue meat or drinke betweene meales at pleasure without paying any thing The same euening we landed at Meluin our Marriners staying in the ship entertained other English Marriners comming aboard and according to their custome giuing them a peece when they departed it happened that the peece being of iron brake and therewith cut the Cooke off by the middle and rent all the prow of the ship The English Merchants at Meluin had no Preacher though the Citizens gaue them free exercise of religion so that how so euer they excused in by reason that learned Preachers could hardly be drawne to come so farre for meanes to liue yet I thought them not free of blame in this point because our Merchants further distant in Asia and liuing vnder the Turkes Empire found meanes by their bounty to haue learned Preachers Neither indeed did I euer obserue in any other place Italy excepted that our Merchants wanted Preachers where they held their staples From Meluin I went ten miles in one day to Dantzke and we being onely two conforts paid each of vs a Doller for our Coach In the morning we went sixe miles and by the way passed the Riuer Begot comming out of the riuer Vistula where our Coachman paid three grosh to haue his Coach carried ouer a damme Beyond this riuer we entered the territory of the King of Poland and passing all this way through fruitfull come fields and rich medowes and pastures in a Countrey abounding with
and ouer mountaines couered with snow three miles and a halfe to a village not farre from which Charles of Gratz Arch-duke of Austria vncle by the Father side to the Emperour Rodulphus and Father to the Queene of Poland lately maried to King Sigismond was of late buried in a Monastery neere Knettelfeld In this village I paid foureteene creitzers for my supper and twelue for my horse-meat The sixth day in the morning we rode one mile in like way to Iudenburg that is the City of the Iewes and I paid foureteene creitzers for breakefast Then we rode fiue miles in a stony way through high mountaines to Newen-markt and I paid eighteene creitzers for my supper and fifteene for my horse-meat In this Countrey of Styria many men and weomen haue great wens hanging downe their throats by drinking the waters that run through the mines of mettals The seuenth day in the morning we rode two miles to the confines of Styria and entring Carinthia passed by the City Freysacke in which was a faire and strong Castle seated vpon a high mountaine and so wee passed one mile further to a village all our way hauing beene very troublesome by reason of the stony mountaines and narrow passages we hauing a coach in our company Heere I paied twenty foure creitzers for my dinner and fourteene for my horse-meat After dinner wee rode two miles in a plaine compassed with mountaines to Sternfield where I paied ninteene creitzers for my supper and sixteene for my horse-meat The eight day in the morning we rode one mile through a fruitfull plaine of corne to a pleasant City Saint Voyte As in Styria so here in Carinthia the men and women haue great wens vpon their throats with drinking the waters that passe the Mines Heere I paied for my dinner and supper forty eight creitzers and twenty foure for my horse-meat for we staid here to rest our horses and every day we tooke shorter iournies because wee had a Coach in our company which could hardly passe the streights and stony waies of the Alpes and in no other part of the Alpes they vse at any time to passe with Coaches but here very seldome in respect of the ill way The ninth day we rode three miles through a fruitful plaine of corne to Feldkirken where I paid nine creitzers for my dinner and foure for my horse-meat After dinner we rode about two miles by the side of a lake on our left hand towards the South beyond which lake Boleslaus King of Poland lies buried in a Monasbery who hauing killed a Bishop warning him to amend his life did vpon his owne free will doe penance there taking the habit of a Monke and seruing in the same Cloyster as a lay brother to warme stoues but the Polackes say that the body of the dead Bishop did many miracles whereupon with great expence of treasure they of late obtained at Rome to haue him made a Saint And so we came to a village where I paid twenty creitzers for my supper thirteene for my horse-meat and eight for drinke after supper The tenth day in the morning we rode about a mile through high and rocky mountaines to the City Villake by which the Riuer Draw runneth and here I omitted my expences After dinner we rode three miles through high and rocky mountaines and a narrow way and our Coachman by the way shewed vs vppon the left hand towards the South a Castle which of old belonging to the Gouernours of the Prouince was now demolished and because money receiued of the Turkes for treason was hidden here they say that euer since ill spirits walke in that place In the villages of Carinthia being a Prouince of the Dutch Empire the Countrey people speake Wendish or the tongue of the old Vandals which I haue like wise heard to be vsed in villages neere Angsburg and neere Witteberg in Saxony and vpon the shoare of the Balticke sea in Pomern and Meckleburge so as it seemes that barbarous nation though scattered and loosing their name yet still liueth in those places So we came to Altaporta that is High gate where I omitted my expences The eleuenth day in the morning wee rode a mile through high mountaines and rocky and a narrow way to the village Trenise where the Dutchmen shewed a pasport and we all had a like pasport giuen vs from the Emperour his Officers which we were to deliuer to the Venetian Officers at Pontena left either for suspition of infectuous sicknes or any other cause they should not permit vs to enter into Italy In the said village I paid fifteene creitzers for my dinner and fiue for my horse-meat After dinner we rode two miles in a stony way betweene mountaines to Pontena which the Dutch call Pontafell and by the way there was a wall of stone betweene the mountaines and a village called Chiusa where there was a gate shutting vp the high way vpon which was written in Italian La chiusa L'Alpi chiudono i confini della famosa Italia manon ponno mai chiudere l'honer del sagio Contarini The inclosure or shutting vp The Alpes close vp the confines of famous Italy but can neuer inclose the honour of the wise Contarini The Contarini are a family of Gentlemen in Venice Here the Venetian souldiers keeping this passage required a beneuolence of vs which we willingly gaue and out companions paid foure Venetian lires for the foure horses in their Coach but wee that were horsemen paid no tribute Here we had another passe-port to be shewed at Venzona I paid at Pontena thirty sols of Venice for my supper thirty fiue for oates and ten for hey And giue me leaue to remember that I hauing for the cold at Dantzke in the beginning of September put on a woollen wasecoat was forced now at the entring of Italy for great heat in the end of October to put off the same The twelfth day in the morning wee rode foure miles meaning Dutch miles though wee be now entered into Italy because my Dutch companions so reckoned them We now had entred the Italian Prouince Frioly which the Latines call Forum Iulij because the Legions vsed to be sent from hence ouer the Alpes the Venetians call Patria that is country because the Venetians fled from hence into the Lakes of Venice when Attila King of the Huns inuaded Italy by this name acknowledging it to be their country from whence they originally came Aquilegia the seat of the Patriarkes destroyed by Attila was of old famous but the Venetians by the Popes fauour haue drawne the Patriarkes seat to Venice By the way wee passed seuen branches of the Riuer Tagliamonti on horse-backe without boats the streame being so violent by the waters falling from the mountaines that it dazels the eyes if the passenger looke vpon the water for which cause wee passed warily turning our eyes from the water and hauing guidespassing before vs to try and shew vs the Fordes By the way vpon
length thereof euen from Genoa to the furthest limits of the Kingdome of Naples bordering vpon he sea towards the East On the same South-side are the schooles of the Vniuersity and the monastery of Saint Michaell and the rich stately monastery of Saint Dominicke in which is the sepulcher of the said Saint curiously engrauen and of white marble and vnder a rich skreene lies the body which they superstitiously worship and they shew the place where the Saint gaue vp his last breath Their refectory or place where the Monkes eat is faire and large and the Cellars of wine and their store thereof are so great as would better become the Temple of Bacchus then a Cloyster of Monkes It hath two foure-square Court yards with arched Cloysters to walke vnder and they be pleasantly planted round about with Cedars of which they especially esteeme one planted by the hands of that Saint who likewise with his owne hand did beautifie a well of water no lesse esteemed by them Their publike Library is much esteemed for many bookes of written hand wherein they brag to haue a Bible written by the hand of Esdras The building of this monastery is very stately and it hath large galleries as well below vnder the Arches as round about in the vpperroofe Here is a monument of Hans that is Iohn sonne to the Emperour Fredericke the second they haue a place giuen by priuiledge to the Dutch for buriall The building of the City is anticke and many houses seeme to haue beene built by the Lombards The foundations of the houses are of free stone and the rest for the most part of bricke built with arched Cloysters towards the street vnder which they walke dry in the greatest raine The Pallaces of Gentlemen are built towards the street stately on the inside but with little shew on the outside and they all seeme to haue beene built of old The windowes are not glased which the Venetians brag to be proper to their City as a thing to be wondered at but they are couered with paper whereof part is oyled ouer Towards the West side of the City is a large market place two forked in which is a faire conduit of water with the Images of Neptune and diuers Goddesses powring water out of their mouthes and breasts and all made of mettall In this market place is the Senate-house vulgarly called Il palazo della signoria on the one side whereof are the Courts of iudgement on the other the lodgings of the Gouernour At the very entry is a statua of brasse erected to Pope Gregory the thirteenth a Citizen of Bologna which appeares by an inscription in the Cathedrall Church and within the Pallace is a statua of white stone erected to Pope Paul the third and another statua of a Gyant The staires of the Pallace are made winding and rising by little and little giue so easie an ascent as a horse may goe vp without difficulty the like staites be at Ferrara in the Dukes Pallace and at Venice in the steeple of Saint Marke and at Torge a City of Germany Within the Pallace is the statua of Iulius the second Bishop or rather the God Mars of Rome engrauen to his shoulders with aleane and longface Vpon the doore of the Pallace is written in golden letters that the Emperour Charles the fifth held his Court there when the Pope put the imperiall Crowne vpon his head in the Church of Saint Petronius which Church is of the old Lombard building and this Saint is the protecting Saint of the City Neere the stately Cathedrall Church of Saint Peter is a house called the mountame of piety where poore men may borrow money freely bringing pawnes to auoid the oppression of the lewes vsury Among the Lombard buildings there is an old Tower called d' Asinelli built of bricke with foure hundred seuenty two staires which they esteeme one of the highest in Europe From this Tower without the gates all the fields are full of Pallaces and Houses At the gate of Saint Francis is a pinacle with this inscription The Sepuicher of Accursius who wrote the glosse vpon the Law Sonne to Francis H us In the territory of this City is a medicinall water found in the yeere 1375. very famous throughout all Italy of which is prouerbially said Chibene l' Acqua della Porretta O che lo spezza o che lo netta that is He that drinkes the water of Porretta either it bursts him or els it cleanseth him The strangers students here call the stately Pallace of Cardinall Caup the sinnes of the Dutch as built by the Fines imposed on them We staid in this City two daies and being three consorts hired a chamber each man for foure bolinei the day the Hostesse giuing vs linnen and dressing our meat and we paid for an Eele by the pound fiue bolinei for they sell fresh water fish by the pound for a pike the pound foure bolinei for three apples two quatrines for a pound of raisons foure bolinei for a pound of small nuts foure bolinei for an ingestar of wine a measure somewhat bigger then the English pint foure bolinei for a wax candle six bolinei It was now the time of Lent and so we were forced to eat onely fish as the Italians did In the territory of Bologna there is a place almost an Iland called Forcelli which was an Iland of old and Historians witnesse that the Triumuiri Augustus Antonius and Lepidus here diuided the world betweene them From Bologna the right way for Rome is directly to Florence which way I neuer passed disposing as I thought my iourney more commodiously yet for the direction of other passengers it will not be amisse to set downe the way From Bologna to Pianore are eight miles to Lograno sixe to Scaricalasino fiue to Caurez three to Fiorenzuola twelue to Scarperia ten to the bridge Saint Piero two and to Fiorenza or Florente two miles At Bologna we chanced to light vpon post horses being to returne twenty miles to Imola and each of vs paid fiue poli for his horse By the way towards the South were pleasant hils towards the foot of the Apennine mountaines On the left hand towards the North were fields manured after the Lombard fashion before described and we passed by the Castle Saint Petro the Italians call the walled Townes which haue no Bishops seat by the name of Castles When we entered the gates of Imola according to the custome we deliuered our swords to a boy who was to carry them to our Host that he might keepe them till we went out of the Towne and here each of vs paied two reali for our supper and halfe a reale for our bed The next morning we rode ten miles to the City Faenza through a sandy way and a barren soyle yeelding some few vines growing vpon trees and each man paid for his horse eight poli From hence our right way to Ancona had beene to Forli Cesena and
that Drusus made a Ditch from this shore towards Capua In the hill or mountaine of Cuma there is a labyrinth vnder the earth and from this hill we did see diuers Ilands neere the Land The Poets fable that in one of them called F Nisa the Witch Calipso dwelt That in the second called G Procida the Gyant Typheus was buried because of the flames that sometimes breake out of the earth The third is called the H Iland of Saint Martine The fourth is called I Ischia wherein the Kings of Naples haue a strong Castle to which the King fled for a time when the French King Charles the eight tooke Naples We walked along this shore of the sea to the Tower called R della Patria being sixteene miles from Naples eight miles from Baie and fiue miles from Cuma It is seated in a pleasant place and vpon the West-side hath a Lake called by the name of the Tower and the Riuer Vulturnus running into the sea On the South-side the sea is neere and vpon the East and North sides it hath pleasant fields and hils At this day there is no building standing but the said Tower and a poore miserable Inne to lodge passengers But among the shrubs there be many ruines of houses and of a bridge and this place was of old called Linternum whether Scipio the Affrican retired into voluntary banishment to flie the enuy of the vngratefull Romans and there he built him a stately Pallace and a sepulcher in which he would be buried saying that the vngratefull Romans should not haue so much as his bones Liuy in his twenty two Booke cals Linternum a sandy soyle beyond Vulturnus from Rome but Leander thinkes that hee spake this of the territory not of the place it selfe and that the rather because in his twenty three Booke he writes that Sempronius the Consull did lead the forces to Lintcrnum beyond Vulturnus and there doth agree in the situation thereof with all writers and the sharpe fountaine like vineger whereof Pliny writes is found among these ruines which water he saith makes them drunken that drinke thereof though others write that they haue taken it moderately without any such effect Pliny also writes that this water moderately taken hath the vertue to cure the head-ach While Scrpio liued here in solitude Liuy and Plutarke write that certaine bold and valiant Pirats vpon the fame of his vertue came to see the face heare the words of so great a Captaine Liuy in his thirty eight Booke writes that he did see two sepulchers of Scipio this at Linternum and the other at Rome neere the gate Capena both decked with carued Images and that these verses were written vpon his Tombe at Linternum Deuicto Annibale capta Carthagine aucto Imperio hoc cineres marmore tectus habes Cui non Europa non obstitit Africa quondam Respice res hominum quam breuis vrna premat Hannibal foild Carthage sack'd and th' Empire Inlarg'd thine ashes in this marble lie Whom Europe or Afrique nere made retire How short a chest holds see mans vanity Leander thinkes that Scipio was buried in this place aswell because Liuy writes it as for the words of Scipio related by Valerius Maximus that his vngratefull Countrey should not haue so much as his bones And he thinks that the monument at Rome was either built by Scipio in the time of his prosperity or by his friends long after in memory of so worthy a kinse man As we walked from Cuma to Linternum we did see no memorable thing but tooke this iourney onely out of desire to see the monument of this famous man neither did we know the danger from banished men in this place who often resort to this poore Inne yet for that cause this way from Naples to Rome more commodious then the other and therefore hauing post-masters appointed there for publike affaires had long beene forsaken by passengers This way to Rome is thus distinguished into miles From Naples to la Patria sixteene miles to la Rocca foureteene to la Fratta eighteene to Ponte Curto ten to Capetano eight to Frusalone eighteen to Piedauani three to val'di Montone twenty two to la Ficha foureteene to Rome eight There is no house at Linternum but the foresaid base Inne and there we lodged and found not our supper answerable to the fruitfulnesse of Campania neither had we any beds and could hardly get cleane straw which inconueniences were accompanied with the feare to be surprised by the banished men so as we slept not one winke that night Here we did see two Towers one compassed with water and neere the Tower della Patria we did see the ruines of a stately Pallace which they said was the Pallace of Scipio and that he was buried there Also we did see a pillar vpon which were the Armes engrauen of the Kings of Spaine and Naples and we did see the ruines of a bridge which shewed the old magnificence thereof But there was nothing to be seene that might counteruaile the danger we had runne Our iourney the day before from Naples to Baie was very pleasant through most fruitfull hils of corne and vincs But from Cuma to this Tower the way vpon the sea shore was wild and barren yet not farre distant within land we might fee most pleasant and fruitfull hils When we had passed a night without sleepe at Linternum we returned early in the morning to Naples by the same way we came but with a more right linc And there I made no stay because England then had warres with Spaine but tooke the next opportunity to returne to Rome with the Carrier after the same fashion I came hither and I paied to my Vetturine fifty two poli for my horse and horse-meat and my owne diet from Naples to Rome and beyond my couenant to gratifie him I was content to pay for my diet the first and last meale which I promised of my owne free will yet should haue beene forced thereunto for otherwise he would haue carried me fasting to Rome and haue giuen me slender diet at Capua being a plentifull place and I obserued the other passengers to doè the like in these places where they were out of danger I passe ouer the iournies which I haue discribed before and wil only say in a word that we returned to Rome where that I might stay with more security to see the antiquities thereof it hapned very fitly that the Cardinall Allan an Englishman hauing vsed to persecute the English comming thither and therefore being ill spoken of by them had changed his mind since the English had ouerthrowne the Spanish Nauy in the yeere 1588. and there was now small hope of reducing England to papistry and therefore to gaine his Country-mens loue did not onely mislike that they should be intrapped at Rome but did himselfe protect them though suspected for religion so they would seeke his fauour whereof I being aduertised by the experience of others
and there were no Magistrates for foure yeeres At last Iulius Caesar with the title of perpetuall Dictator inuaded the Empire which being after diuided into the Orientall and Occidentall Empire and the Occidentall being destroied by the incursions of barberous Nations the Bishops of Rome by little and little cast their Orientall Lords out of Italy and erected a new Occidentall Empire in France that they might inuade the power of the Roman Emperors and of the heauenly iurisdiction vpon earth vnder pretext of Religion by a new monster of a Roman wit drawne from the supremacy of the Apostle Saint Peter Pliny in his time makes the circuit of Rome twenty miles and Vopiscus in the time of the Emperour Aurelius makes the circuit fifty miles but he ioyned to Rome all the neighbour villages At this day if you adde to Rome the two parts beyond Tyber called Trasteuere and Borgo the circuit at the most is fifteene miles for others say thirteene or fourteene besides that a very great part of this circuit within the walles is not inhabited and the walles not withstanding lie not vpon their old foundations neither are built of that matter but as it pleased those who repaired them Among which Belisarius gouernour of Italy vnder the Emperour Iustinian built Rome demolished by the Gothes and made the circuit of the walles lesse and Pope Adrian the first a Roman the wals being fallen built them as now they stand and many of his successours haue since added new ornaments to decaied Rome But the old wals as appeares by some ruines were built of foure square stone the rest are of diuers building as it pleased the repairers and haue a bricke gallery to walke vpon vnder which men may stand dry when it raines and they being ready to fal with age haue many round Towers which in like sort are ready to fall Rome at this day is troubled with the old ouerflowings of Tyber by reason of the Tybers narrow bed not able to receiue the waters falling suddenly from neere mountaines after great raine or melting of snow For memory whereof these inscriptions are vpon the wals of the Church of Saint Mary sopra Minerua In the yeere 1530. if I be not deceiued for the first words are raced out the Ides of October Clement the seuenth being Pope Huc Tyber ascendit iamque obruta totafuisset Roma nisi celerem virgo tulisset opem Thus farre came Tyber and all Rome had drown'd Had we not from the Virgin swift helpe found And there in another place this verse is written in the yeere MVD. Extulit huc tumidas turbidus Amnis aquas Thus farre this muddy brookes water did swell In each place is a red marke vpon the wals how high the water ascended by which it appeares marking the seat of the Church that all the plaine was ouerflowed betweene it and the Tyber By reason of these flouds and for that the City is built vpon the caues of old Rome which makes the foundations to be laid with great charge and also by reason of the vapours rising from the Baths the aire of Rome is at this day vnwholsome The Romans drinke raine water and the troubled waters of Tyber kept in Cesternes and they bragge that it is proper to the water or Tyber the longer it is kept to grow more pure Surely strangers doe not like that water howsoeuer the Romans making a vertue of necessity doe say that it was onely made good to drinke at Rome and no where els by the blessing of Pope Gregory the Great Now being to describe the antiquities of Rome I will first set downe out of order the seuen Churches famous for the indulgences of Popes which they say were built by the Emperour Constantine the Great Then I will set downe the rest in due order as they are seated And because I finished in hast the view of Rome in foure daies I will distinguish the Antiquities into foure daies iournies The first day being to visit these seuen Churches by reason of their distance and the hast we made I and my consorts hired each of vs a mule each man for two poli and we neuer found our errour till the euening when we demanding the way of a man of meane sort he replied thus with some anger What doe you ride to heauen and we poore wretches goe on foote without shooes to visit these holy Churches By this we found our errour and were glad that we had passed that day without further danger In generall these Churches are bare on the Inside without any pictures except some few about the Altars This day we first rode to the chiefe Church A dt S. Giouanni Laterano seated vpon Mount Celius and built by Constantine the Great in his Pallace and it hath a stately Font in which that Emperour was baptized and in the Church there be foure most faire pillars of brasse The Church is sustained by foure rowes of bricke pillars and there hang certaine banners taken from the French and neere the doore the Popes Sergius the fourth and Siluester the second are buried in low monuments In the Church yard are old sepulchers and little pillars of marble Neere to this Church lie those holy staires whereof I spake in my iourney from Rome to Naples when our Italian consorts went to pray for a happy iourney kneeling without the grates But they that will haue the grates opened to pray there vse to creepe vpon their knees from staire to staire and vpon each staire to say a pater noster and Aue Maria. These staires are twenty six in number diuided into three rowes and they be of marble vulgarly called Scale Sante and were brought from the house of Pilate in Hierusalem It is not safe for him to inquire after relikes who will not worship them yet to satisfie the curious I will set downe the chiefe by beare-say Here they shew a tooth of Saint Peter a Cup in which Saint Iohn dranke poyson at the command of Demitian and had no hurt The cloth with which Christ dried his Disciples feet the heads of Peter and Paul the rodde of Aaron the Arke of the couenant the table at which Christ supped three marble gates of Pilates house the Image of Christ being twelue yeeres old with the like Part of these they say were brought from Hierusalem by the Emperour Titus yet he was no Christian nor like to regard the monuments of Christ. One Chappell of this Church is called Sanctum Sanctorum and is thought to haue beene the Chamber of Constantine neither may any woman enter it To conclude the place is shewed here in which many counsels haue beene held and the Popes long dwelt here before the Pallace in the Vaticane was built The Church of B Saint Peter in the Mount Vaticano ioines to the Popes Pallace they say it was built by Constantine the Great The Popes haue giuen full remission of sinnes to them that pray here vpon certaine daies and like remission
is richly guilded and here Pope Pius the fourth consecrated the spoiles taken from the Turkes in the nauall victory of him and his confederates the memory whereof is there kept by an inscription vpon a pillar Also the Senate and people of Rome haue here erected a table to Pope Paul the third vpon which is written in golden letters that while he was Cardinall he erected here many antient monuments digged vp in Rome at his owne charge On the other side of the Mount Capitoline towards the West as I remember at the very foot of the mountaine is the Tullian prison appointed for that vse by the old Kings Ancus Martins and Tullus in which they say the holy Apostles Peter and Paul were imprisoned and at this day there is a Church vnder the earth called Saint Peter In Careere The 24 Theater of Marcellus sonne to the sister of Augustus is neere the Pallace of the Family Sauilla Not farre thence towards the fish market was the Porticus of Octauia sifter to Augustus but no ruines now remaine thereof The 25 pallace of the Cardinal Farnese is seated in a plain being one of the fairest in Rome which for the dignity of such a City hath very few stately Pallaces Here I did see an admirable statua cut out in one stone of a Bull treading a woman vnder his feete with the Images of two brothers standing vpright and of a hunting dogge with the figure of a high Rocke Concerning the Churches which we did see in this daies iourney The 23 Church of Saint Adrian in the market place called Romanum or Boiarium The Church of Saint Peter and Marcellanus betweene the 20 Theater of Vespasian and the Church A S. Giouanni in Laterano the Church of Saint Matthew in the way towards C Saint Mary Maggiore the Church of Saint Pietro in vincula vpon XXVI Mount Esquiline where is a sepulcher of white marble of Pope Iulius the second adorned with faire statuaes namely one of Moyses of the rare worke of Michael Angelo the Church of Agata vpon the same mountaine the Church of Saint Vito In Macello the Church of Saint Eusebius neere the mounment called 9 Trofei di Mario the Church of Saint Prasside seared neere C S. Maria Maggiore whose chappell called Horto del Paradiso no woman may enter the Church of Saint Quirico the Church Saint Susanna vpon XXVIII Monte Cauallo the Church Saint Vitallis Al these Churches giue the titles of Cardinals The Church Saint Costanza is a long mile out of the VII gate Pis and was of old dedicated to Bacchus where is a most faire sepulcher and large of porphry ten ordinary spannes deepe and fifteene long curiously engrauen with boyes quaffing and bearing cups of wine as in a Feast of Bacchus which some thinke to be the sepulcher of Constantia a Virgine daughter to Constantine but the engrauing like a Feast of Bacchus seemes more ancient and to be wrought by the Heathen Romans and it is vulgarly called the sepulcher of Bacchus This Church is of a round forme and little but very faire and borne vp with twelue rowes of marble pillars set in a round compasse Neere this lies the Church of Saint Agnese hauing doores of brasse where the Lambes are kept whereof the Pals of Arch-bishops are made which the Pope so dearly sels At my first comming to Rome I lodged in a publike Inne and paid three giulij each meale then as I haue written I hasted my iourney to Naples and after returning to Rome I hired a chamber by the day and bought my owne meat but my haste to be gone made me not to note my particular expences Onely I remember that they who sold any thing in the market vsed to look into the hands of the buyers to see whether they brought siluer or brasse coyne and thereafter made their price whereupon many shewed siluer till they had bought and then paid in copper which the people durst not refuse And from hence it was that in a solemne pompe when the people fell on their knees before the Pope and I thought they onely expected his blessing they all cried out Holy Father command that we may haue white bread and that the Gentlemen may be forced to take our brasse quatrines so as it seemes they refused to receiue them I scarce bought my meat one or two daies in Rome For after I had beene with Cardinall Allen I formerly said that to shun the company of his Englishmen I changed my lodging and my selfe and two Dutch Gentlemen my consorts tooke a chamber in a victualling house close vnder the Popes Pallace and each of vs paid for our bed each night one or two baocci and bought our meat in that house agreeing for the price before we did eat it and so being ready vpon all euents of danger and hauing no carriage to trouble vs we hoped if need were to escape yet still I rested much vpon the Cardinals promise and being free from Englishmens company and hauing two honest Dutch Gentlemen for my consorts both borne in the Palatinate of Rheine where they professe the same religion as in England I did with more security set my selfe freely to satisfie my curiosity in the view of Rome After being desirous to see the mouth of Tyber where it fals into the sea I went out of the gate of Saint Paul and hauing the narrow bed of Tyber on my right hand passed twelue miles to Ostia through fruitfull hils of corne and a vast wood at my iournies end Here is a strong Castle seated in Latium and belonging to the Popes of Rome which Pope Martin the fifth built and Pope Iulius the second did more strongly fortifie but nothing remaines of the stately buildings of that City but some poore houses Strabo writes that King Ancus Martius first built this City in a soile to which the Riuer brought much dirt It is certaine that of old the ships did cast Anchor without the Hauen of the City and sent their goods to Rome in Gallies and Barkes drawne vp by a rope the Hauen being not so deepe to beare them The Citizens were free from Tribute to make them dwell there the aire being then as also at this time very vnwholsome Now the Tyber seemes to end here in a Lake and the waters runne in little channels vnder the paued high waies The Hauen of Traian is a mile and a halfe from the Towne being broad enough but so barred with sand and like matter as no ships can come to it and onely small Barkes sometimes passe from Naples and neere places to Rome and that very seldome The foresaid Hauen was first built by Claudius then repaired by Traian and called of his name of which Suetonius writes thus in the life of Claudius He made the Hauen of Hostia drawing an arme on the right and left side and making a barre at the entery where it was deepe which barre that he might make more stable by Art he sunke the ship
AEolus another of Parnassus where with the turning of a cocke a paire of Organs doth make sweet musicke and there is a head which together with the eyes in moued to and fro by the vnseene water and there is a pleasant shade with many statuaes or Images curiously carued and there the Duke doth many times eat The third fountaine is called Il villano that is the Clowne The fourth la pestaria that is the fish-pond where a Ducke of India hauing foure wings did swimme in the water The fifth La lauandara the Laundresse where the statua of a woman with the turning of a Cocke beats a bucke turning the clothes vp and downe with her hand and the battledor wherewith shee beateth them in the water The sixth vulgarly Caccioli containes vessels to keepe the water cold The seuenth Del Rosso The eight Grotta Copito and in this Caue on all sides are marble chaires whereupon passengers willingly sit after their walking but assoone as they lightly presse some of the seats a paile of water fals vpon his head that sits vpon it besides the pauement is of marble and therein many stones are so placed as lightly touched with a mans foot they cast vp water into his very face and eies There be also well wrought Images of a Serpent biting the finger of a Man and of a Toade creeping to and fro and of a Dragons head bowing downe to drinke water which presently it vomits vp againe The ninth Il satiro the Satire The tenth La mascara a woman with a vizard To conclude there is a large cage of birds made of wier and open to the aire in which are birds of all kindes and many Countries not onely singing to delight the eare but of most pleasant and diuers colours to delight the eye Returning from this garden we rode to the Dukes Pallace called La Petraia where at that time he held his Court such as I shall in due place relate and there we did see Duke Ferdinando and his Dutchesse daughter to the Duke of Loraine and the young Princes and Princesses of the house of Medici walking into the Garden Thence we rode in our returne to Florence to another Pallace of the Dukes called Il Castello being two miles distant from Florence in the Garden whereof wee did see a faire Oke called la Quercetta to the top whereof we ascended by staires and there with the turning of a cock the water sprung vp on all sides There is a Fountaine or a statua of a woman made of mixt mettall richer then brasse called vulgarly di Bronzo and this statua shed water from all the haires of the head and there be seates which cast out water when they are set vpon Here in another Caue are diuers Images of beasts of Marble curiously wrought namely of Elephants Camels Sheepe Harts Wolues and many other beasts admirable for the engrauers worke Here our guide slipped into a corner which was only free from the fall of waters and presently turning a cock powred vpon vs a shower of raine and there with did wet those that had most warily kept themselues from wetting at all the other fountaines This Garden was full of pleasant hills and shades of Cipresse trees and had three Cesternes of Marble to keepe water Hauing now spoken of all the Dukes Pallaces within and neere the Citie giue me leaue to relate by others report that the Duke hath another Pallace ten miles distant from Florence called Il Poggio which he built for the pleasure of hunting This day being thus spent we returned to Florence and the next day wee went out on foote by the South Gate to the stately Monastery of the Carthusians called la Certosa hauing in our company Italian Gentlemen who caused vs to bee well entertained there and inuited to dinner in their publique Refectory where we had great cheare of fish Pastry and Sallats but no flesh which those Friers neuer eate at least not publikely I made mention of this Monastery in my iourney from Sienna to Florence at which time those that did pennance about Easter flocked thither in great troopes and now our Italian Consorts gaue vs the meanes to view the same The Church is stately built and the seates of the Chauncell are of Nut-tree They did shew vs the statua of Saint Chrisostome to the middle of siluer whose relikes also they keepe and they shewed vs one of the pots in which they said Christ turned water into Wine in Cana of Galily whereof the Papists shew many Also a statua of Saint Dennis Areopagita of siluer and like relikes kept there These Friers professe great austeritie in Religion and are tied to keepe silence not Pithagoricall for some yeeres but perpetuall the lay-brethren excepted who doe the manuall workes of the house They neuer eate flesh for such is their rule which if they breake yet they doe it not in the publike place of eating The Priest hauing sung Masse doth after it many times bow downe his head and then falles prostrate on his face praying Each Frier hath foure cells or chambers and his priuate Garden planted with fruit trees and therein a priuate well They haue no beds but sleep vpon straw and eat priuately In their owne Celles only eating together in the publique roomes on the feast dayes so as they may easily in priuate breake this vow of not eating flesh if they list To conclude they giue large almes to the poore and thus by shew of holines getting great riches from Lay-mens gift they think to deserue heauen by giuing them as the prouerb is a pig of their owne sow The seate of this Monastery is very pleasant vpon a Hill or little Mountaine Hence wee returned to Florence All the Cities of Italy haue many houses wherein strangers may hire Chambers called Camere locanti and in Florence there be only three or foure publique Innes all in one streete for daily passengers and three huoses like Colledges called Albergi for those that make long stay in the Citie wherein they may hire Chambers for ten giulij the month the host being tied after the manner of Italy besides their Chamber and bed to dresse their meate and finde them linnen I liuing after this fashion remember these rates of things bought for a pound of Almons vulgarly vna lira di Mandole one giulio a pound of great grapes dried and called Susini sixe creitzers two pigeons one giulio that is eight creitzers two Apricotts a quatrine a pound of Mutton foureteene fifteene or sixteene quatrines a pound of Lambe twelue quatrines two egges fiue or sixe quatrines a pound of Raisons or lesse grapes dried two baelli and of another kinde called Passere sixe baelli two Hennes fortie or fiftie sols two Capons sixtie sols two Apples one quatrine and seuen Apples one baello an Orange two quatrines two Citrones one baello a pound of drie figges seuen or tenne quatrines a pound of the greatest reasons or dried Grapes called Sebibi twelue quatrnies
forme not vnlike to an earthen vessell broad in the bottom and narrow at the mouth which narrow part lies towards the West where comming from Florence you enter by the Gate Camolea Neere the same is a Fort wherein the great Duke keepes souldiers and there without the gate is the Church of Saint Marie whether was great concourse of people for deuotion From hence to the East gate leading towards Rome the streetes lie euen and plaine though the Citie be seated vpon a mount and in this part toward the East the City is broadest and from this gate a man may see the Castle Redicofini forty miles distant vpon the confines of the States of the Pope and the great Duke Betweene the said gates as it were in the center of the City lies a most faire Marketplace in the forme of an Oyster and lying hollow as the shell thereof is And there is a stately Pallace of the Senate built when the Citie was free in the front whereof is a statua of mixt mettall vulgarly called di bronzo which seemes to bee apparelled hauing on the head a broad hat and this statua strikes the houre of the clock On the South-East side within the walles lies a large field which was then sowed with corne yet the Citie hath few or no Gardens within the wall Not farre from the walles on the South-side lies the Cathedrall Church vulgarly called Il Domo and howsoeuer it be little it seemed to me the fairest Church in Italy It hath but one dore to which you ascend by long and broad Marble staires All the pauement is most beautifull of ingrauen Marble adorned with Images of the fiue Sybills and there be in this Church some twentie Images of mixt mettall besides many other of Marble The seates of the Chauncell are of Walnut-tree curiously carued and all the roofe of the Church is painted of skie colour and all set with starres Vpon the inside and in the vpper part of the Church are the Images of the Popes wrought in stone to the shoulders set round about where betweene Gregorie the fourth and Adrian the second I wondred to see the head of Pope Ioane with the inscription naming her especially in a Citie so neere Rome Hauing noted this at Sienna and after my comming into England reading the same I searched Histories to see how they agreed in this matter which the Papists cannot heare with patience And I found in approued Authors that after the said Gregory the fourth succeeded Sergius the second confirmed by the Emperour Lotharius in the yeere 844 then Leo the fourth dying in the yeere 854 then Pope Ioane setting two yeeres and few moneths and dying in the yeere 856 then Benedict the third then Nicholas the Great in the yeere 858 then the foresaid Adrian the second in the yeere 867. And if any man aske why the heads of Sergins the second Leo the fourth Benedict the third and Nicholas the great being omitted the head of Pope Ioane should stand betweene the heads of Gregorie the fourth and Adrian the second I leauing the curious search thereof to them that list dispute it as a matter nothing to my purpose can suddenly giue no other reason thereof then that I coniecture the said heads were set on the other side of the Church for at that time I was content to note the same without casting this doubt and so not searching to satisfie my selfe therein But I dare boldly affirme that my selfe and the two Dutch-gentlemen my consorts did see this monument in this Church neere the doore on the right hand as we came in And since that time I haue conferred with diuers worthy English Gentlemen who affirmed that they did see the same In this Church are two sepulchers one of Pope Alexander the third the other of Pope Pius the second And in a Chappell of this Church is a most faire Font. From this Church discending by slope and steepe streetes towards the South-west wall you shall come to a most pleasant Fountaine called Fonte Branda without the South-gate of which the Citizens prouerbially say that if a stranger drinke thereof he shall so loue Sienna as he shall very vnwillingly and scarce at all depart from the City But the Florentincs in scorne of the Siennesi haue a prouerbe Chi de fonte Branda beue diuenta pazzo He that drinkes of the fountaine Branda becomes a foole It casts out water by nine mouthes of stone and there be three places where Laundresses wash and neere the same is a pleasant groue On the same South side towards the Sea some few miles from the Towne lies a fenny plaine called La Maremma most fruitfull in corne but infamous for ill aire so as the place being forsaken by all Italians is tilled by the Grisons comming downe from the Alpes to this place in winter time when the Alphes are all couered with snow and in the spring time returning backe into their owne Countrey Sienna it selfe is much subiect to raine so as a Spaniard comming often thither in rainy weather did write or is said to haue written to his friend for a wonder that it alwaies rained at Sienna On the North-east side of the City two large fields within the wals are sowed with corne All the pauement of the streets is of bricke which lasteth the longer because there be neither carts nor coaches but all burthens are carried vpon the backes of Asses There is a stately Pallace which Pope Pius the second built who was a Citizen of Sienna of the Family of Picciolomini and there in the Mount Oliuet the passion of Christ is curiously grauen It is vulgarly and truely said that Sienna abounds with Fountaines Towers and faire Weomen There is no better place to liue in through all Italy then the state of Florence and more specially the most sweet City of Sienna The Citizens whereof are most curteous and they haue many publike meetings of the young weomen Virgines to dance where the doore is open for any Citizen or stranger Besides Sienna is commended for the best language and in the same and in all the state of Florence men liue safe from robberies and from the murthers which are frequent in Lombardy Adde that they haue delicate diet at Florence at a reasonable rate and in the rest of the territory at a very cheape rate Our Hostesse at Sienna gaue vs cleane linnen often changed both at bed and boord a large chamber a good bed a linnen canopy oft changed and did prouide our meat very cleanly for which each man paid no morethen ten giulij by the moneth We bought our owne meat and I remember that the price of oyle was twenty fiue lires the barrell that I paid for as much wood as an Asse would beare foure baelli They haue butter but not so good as in the valley of Arno and they sell it twenty two sols the ounce The Magistrate sets a price vpon euery thing to be sold in the
that many places being infected by the Plague I was to sweare that I came not from any of them which to be freed from my former feare I did gladly assure him vpon my oath The Citie is strongly fortified saue that the South side where the circuit of the Citie was inlarged was not yet compassed with walles neither were the houses on that side yet built The houses are fairely built of free stone The Dukes Pallace was built foure square with a large inner Court all of free stone and with a high Gallerie towards the said Court-yard and there I had the opportunitie to see the Duke and the Princes and the Princesses his children Finding not heere any companie for my iourney into France which I hoped to finde at Metz and thinking it not conuenient to stay longer then I must needes in a place for the time ill affected to the English I rode the fourth day eight French miles to Metz. In the time of the Emperour Charles the fifth the French tooke this Citie from the Empire aud at this day it was held for Henrie the fourth King of France by a Garrison of his men and euery one now talking of Peace made in France yet it was not then proclaimed in these parts nor vpon any of the confines of France My selfe after few dayes stay finding no consorts for my iourney into France was admonished by some honest Gentlemen in this Citie that this iourney would bee very dangerous to mee in respect that the armie being broken vp all France would bee full through all parts of scattering troopes of Souldiers returning to their owne homes But when they perceiued that I was obstinate in my purpose to passe through France into England they perswaded mee at least to sell my Horse and goe on foote for they said the bootie of a good Horse would surely cause mee to bee robbed by those who might perhaps let me passe quietly on foot disguised in poore apparrell for they seeing mee well mounted would surely set vpon me and twenty to one kill me aswel because they that rob in France do commonly kill them they rob as because they would imagine mee to bee a souldier either on the Kings or on the Leagers side and in that case if I were on their owne side would kill me for feare of being forced to restitution and if I were on the aduerse part would thinke mee well killed as an enemie Besides that the Marshals of the Kingdome at the ende of a Ciuill warre vsed such seueritie of iustice to suppresse all disorders as they would surely kill mee lest I should complaine of them Whereas if I passed on foote they were like either to let mee goe in peace or at least to bee content with my money without offering further violence to mee whom they would iudge to bee of some base condition This their counsell I approued and howsoeuer vnwillingly sold my Horse for sixteene French Crownes In this Citie I payed a franck each meale It is a faire Citie and well fortified and it is seated vpon a Hill in a fat soile fruitfull of Corne and the Riuer Mosella running from Nancey in a Plaine passeth close by the West Gate of the Citie where it is to bee passed by a couered bridge Being to take my iourney towards Paris on foote I hired a poore man to guide me to Chalons and to carry my cloake and my little baggage The first day after dinner wee went two French miles by the banke of the said Riuer through a dyrtie way and a Countrie fruitfull of Corne but hauing no Woods not so much as a tree and came to a poore Village By the way I passed by Pontmolin where of old was a faire bridge to passe ouer Mosella the ruines whereof at this day are called Arches de Ioye In this my iourney to Paris I spent each day for my dyet about twentie foure soulz The second day we went two miles to Pont and fiue miles to Toul where I payed two testoones and a halfe for a paire of shooes Our way was very dyrtie through fruitfull fields of Corne and we often heard the cries of the Country people driuing their cattell to fortified places vpon the seeing of some scattered troopes of Souldiers which made vs much affraid and that not without iust cause but God deliuered vs from this danger The third day I being so wearie as I could not goe on foot hired for one Frank two post horses returning homeward for me my guide to ride 2 miles after 2 horses for three frankes for vs to ride three miles to Saint Aubine The fourth day I hired two horses for vs for a French Crowne and we rode fiue miles to Bar in a faire way through Pastures and Hilles planted with Vines yeelding a rich Wine and fruitfull fields of Corne. And this day we passed by the Village Longeuille which the Countrey people had fortified in this ciuill warre to defend themselues from being spoiled by sudden inuasions though otherwise they were each night forced to lodge some Troope or other Hauing dined plentifully at Bar and being refreshed with excellent wine in the after noone we went foure miles through the like way to the Village Ampton Cour where a French Gentleman dwelt who the same day had there proclaimed the Peace For now wee had passed the confines of Loraine and this was the first Village of France in the Prouince of Champaigne The fifth day being after the new stile the first of May in the yeere 1595 wee went on foote nine long French miles to Chalons At the end of the first two miles wee came to the first house standing alone and called la rouge maison that is the red house inhabited onely by an old woman who would giue vs nothing to eate or drinke and in all the rest of the way we did neither see Village nor house nor so much as a tree The fields were plaine and all the Prouince according to the name was a Champion Countrey and seemed apt to beare great store of Corne but now in the time of Ciuill warre they lay vnploughed and the Husbandmens houses were fallen to the ground Yea wee could not finde so much as water to quench our thirst so as my guide was forced to drinke the standing water lying in the cartruts of the high way and my selfe to quench my thirst did chew the crust of a browne loafe which he had giuen me whereby I kept my mouth moist casting the crust away when I had chewed it We had now scarce entred France when suddenly the mischiefe fell vpon me which my friends at Metz had foretold me When I had passed halfe this dayes iourney I met with some dozen horsemen whose Captaine demaunded of me my name and Countrey I answered that I was a Dutch man and the seruant of a Dutch Merchant who staied for me at Chalons whether I was then going He as it seemed to me thinking it dishonourable
to him if he should himselfe assault a poore fellow and a stranger did let me passe but before I came to the bottome of the hill I might see him send two horsemen after me who wheeling about the mountaines that I might not know they were of his company suddenly rushed vpon me and with fierce countenance threatning death presented their Carbines to my brest I hauing no abilitie to defend mee thought good not to make any the least shew of resistance so they tooke my sword from my guide and were content onely to rob me of my mony I formerly said that I could not finde at Venice any meanes to exchange my money to Paris the long Ciuill warre hauing barred the Parisians from any traffique in forraine parts and that I was forced to exchange my money to Geneus This money there receiued I had quilted within my doublet and when I resolued to goe on foote to Paris I made me a base couer for my apparrel which when they perceiued they tooke from me the inward doublet wherein I had quilted the gold and though they perceiued that vnder my basecouer I had a Ierkin and hose laide with gold lace yet they were content to take onely the inner dublet and to leaue me all the rest of my apparrell wherein I doe acknowledge their courtesie since theeues giue all they doe not take Besides they tooke not onely my Crownes but my sword cloake and shirtes and made a very vnequall exchange with me for my hat giuing me another deepe greasie French hat for it One thing in this miserie made me glad I formerly said that I sold my horse for 16. French Crownes at Metz which Crownes I put in the bottome of a wooden box and couered them with a stinking ointment for scabs Sixe other French Crownes for the worst euent I lapped in cloth and thereupon did wind diuers colored threads wherein I sticked needles as if I had been so good a husband as to mend my own clothes This box and this ball of thread I had put in my hose as things of no worth and when in spovling me they had searched my pockets they first tooke the boxe and smelling the stinke of the ointment they cast it away on the ground neither were they so frugail to take my bal of thread to mend their hose but did tread it likewise vnder their feet Then they rode swiftly to their companions and I with some sparke of ioy in my greater losse tooke vp the box and ball of thread thinking my selfe lesse miserable that by the Grace of God I had some money left to keepe me from begging in a strange Countrey This Tragedie thus acted I and my guide very sad because he despared of my abilitie to pay him his hire went forward our iourney hee wondering that I was no more deiected in the danger I had passed and for my miserable want of mony thinking that I had neuer a penny left whom he did see so narrowly searched and yet perceiued that I was in some sort merry At last we did see the City of Challons not farre distant and vpon our left hand was a faire spring which had seuen heads to which wee went to drinke being both very thirstie Here I put into the water the hat which the theeues had giuen me by vnequall exchange for mine being greasie to the very top and deepe according to the French fashion and filling it with water thrice drunke it vp greedily Then I filled it the fourth time and broke into it the crummes of the browne loafe the crust whereof had to that time kept my mouth with some moisture which I deuoured and thought I had neuer eaten better brewesse but three daies ficknesse of vomiting and loosenesse made me repent this intemperance Thence wee went to Chalons where my guide brought mee to a poore Ale-house and when I expostulated the wrong he did me he replied That stately Innes were not for men who had neuer a penny in their purses but I told him that I looked for comfort in that case rather from Gentlemen then Clownes Whereupon hee willingly obeyed me and with a deiected and fearefull countenance brought me to the chiefe Inne where he ceased not to bewaile my misery and to recount my Tragedy as if it had been the burning of Troy till the very Hoste despairing of my abilitie to pay him began to looke disdainefully vpon me The next morning when hee being to returne home and taking his leaue of me I paied him his hire which he neither asked nor expected thinking that I had not one penny and likewise paied my Hoste for my supper and lodging he first began to talke like a mad man and comming to himselfe professed that he knew not how I should haue one pennie except I were a Iugler or an Alchumist or had a familiar spirit Then confounded betweene wonder and ioy hee began to triumph with the seruants and would not depart till hee had first drunke a quart of Wine The building of Chalons was low and base being of Timber and Clay and this Citie hath no beauty but in the large Market-place and strong Fort. On the West side without the walles are pleasant Ilands whether the Citizens vse to passe by boat and to walke there for recreation I formerly said that I spent in this iourney some fortie two soulz by the day for my diet after which rate I payed here and if extraordinarily I called for wine I payed two soulz and a halfe for a measure little bigger then our English pint From hence to Paris I passed in a long wagon of Paris and paied two French Crownes for my place therein The first day we passed in like way to the former and in the same Prouince of Champaigne foureteene miles to Sizan and did scarse see two poore Villages by the way but I was told that some halfe a mile out of the high way was the castle Chastilton wherof the Admiral of France killed in the Massacre of Paris and the Gentlemen of his Family haue their name The second day we were carried 12 miles to Nangi being as vet not freed frō the cries of poore people driuing their cattell from Troopes of Souldiers but for my part I made the prouerbe true that the passenger hauing nothing sings before the thiefe Yet was I not without feare of a greater mischiefe then robbing by the losse of my life hauing no mony to redeeme it from the cut-throat souldiers The third day we were carried ten miles in Champaigne through a Champion Country lying wast 4 miles more to Paris through a fruitfull plaine of corne pleasant hils planted with vines This Country wherein Paris is seated is compailed with the riuers of Seyne Matrona Orsa is properly called the Iland of France The Parisians haue their name either from Paris of Troy or of the Parrhasij a people of Asia which did accompany Hercules or of the Temple of Isis neete
suddenly he changed his minde for feare of a great Rhume wherewith he was troubled or being discouraged with the difficulty of the iourney and would needs returne to Emden with purpose if hee were to be belieued to returne the next Spring to some place neere Ierusalem in an English ship which he thought more commodious He professed that he had put much money out vpon his returne and since hee was old and very sickly and after so long a iourney and so much money spent would needes returne home I cannot thinke that he euer vndertooke this iourney againe Many Papists thinke they must haue the Popes Licence to goe this iourney and Villamont a French Gentlemen writes that otherwise they incurre the censure of the Church and affirmes that the Pope writ vnder his licence these words Fiat quod petitar that is let that be granted which is craued and vnder the remission of his sinnes Fiat Faelix that is Let him be made happy And he addes that he was forced to take as much paines and to spend as much and to vse as much helpe of the Popes Officers for the obtaining of these two sutes as if he had beene a suter for a Bishoppricke But I know many Papists that haue gone from Venice to Hierusalem who either cared not for this licence or neuer thought vpon it and how soeuer it may giue some credulous men hope of fuller indulgence or merit surely it will serue them for no other vse Among our consorts I neuer heard any mention thereof neither did the Friars at Ierusalem inquire after it When I first began to thinke of vndertaking this iourney it was told me that each Ascension day a Venetian gally was set forth to carry Pilgrimes to Ierusalem But it seemes that this custome is growne out of vse since few are found in these daies who vndertake this iourney in regard of the Turkes imposing great exactions and doing foule iniuries to them For the very Friars which euery third yeere are sent into those parts to doe diuine duties to the Papist Merchants there abiding the Friars formerly sent being recalled vse to passe in no other then common Merchants ships In the end of March we had the opportunity of a ship passing into Asia which at that time of the yeere is not rare This ship was called the lesse Lyon and the Master whom the Italians cal Patrono was Constantine Coluri a Grecian as most part of the Marriners are Greekes the Italians abhorring from being sea men Concerning diet some agreed with the Steward of the ship called Ilscalco and they paid by the moneth foure siluer crownes each crowne at seuen lyres and I marked their Table was poorely scrued For our part we agreed with the Master himselfe who for seuen gold crownes by the month paid by each of vs did curteously admit vs to his Table and gaue vs good diet seruing each man with his knife and spoone and his forke to hold the meat whiles he cuts it for they hold it ill manners that one should touch the meat with his hand and with a glasse or cup to drinke in peculiar to himselfe Hee gaue vs wine mingled with water and fresh bread for two or three daies after we came out of any harbour and otherwise bisket which we made soft by soaking it in wine or water In like sort at first setting forth he gaue vs fresh meates of flesh and after salted meates and vpon fasting dayes he gaue vs egges fishes of diuers kinds dried or pickled sallets sod Rice and pulse of diuers kinds Oyle in stead of butter Nuts fruit Cheese and like things Also we agreed that if our iourney were ended before the moneth expired a rateable proportion of our money should be abated to vs. Each of vs for his passage agreed to pay fiue siluer crownes of Italy And howsoeuer I thinke they would not haue denied vs wine or meat betweene meales if we had beene drie or hungry yet to auoide troubling of them my selfe and my brother carried some flaggons of rich wine some very white bisket some pruines and raisins and like things And to comfort our stomackes in case of weakenesse we carried ginger nutmegs and some like things and for remedies against agues we carried some cooling sirops and some pounds of sugar and some laxatiue medicines Also we carried with vs two chests not onely to lay vp these things but also that we might sleepe and rest vpon them at pleasure and two woollen little mattresses to lie vpon and foure quilts to couer vs and to lay vnder vs which mattresses and quilts we carried after by land or else we should haue beene farre worse lodged in the houses of Turkes besides that many times we lay in the field vnder the starry cannopy In stead of sheetes we vsed linnen breeches which we might change at pleasure Howsoeuer all Nations may vse their owne apparell in Turky yet the clothes of Europe and especially the short clokes are most offensiue to them so as the wearer prouoketh them thereby to doe him iniuries Therefore my selfe and my brother bought each of vs a long coat of as course stuffe as we could find a long gowne of a course and rough frize Our swords daggers and European garments we left in our chests with a Flemmish Merchant lying at Venice to be kept against our returne and howsoeuer he falling banckerout left the City before that time yet our goods were by the publike Officer laid apart and readily deliuered to vs at our returne Whereas we left our swords at Venice know that no Turkes and much lesse Christians carry any Armes except when they goe some iourney and that we were not ignorant that howsoeuer Christians may defend themselues from theeues by the high way yet it was hard to distinguish betweene the Turkes violent extortions with the iniuries of them and the Ianizares by the high waies and flatrobberies by theeues and that whosoeuer should draw a sword or a knife against these men or any Turke scoffing and defpising him should be sure to die an ill death by publike Iustice which notwithstanding I know not how any man carrying Armes could haue the patience to endure Therefore since the Turkes iournying in great troopes were sufficiently armed against theeues and in all euents are vnfaithfull fellow souldiers to a Christian ioining with them excepting the Ianizares who how soeuer they make a shew of feare of theeues that they may seeme better to deserue their wages yet haue seldome or neuer beene assaulted by them For these and other reasons wee left our swords at Venite which reasons it would be tedious to vrge and chose rather vnarmed then armed to suffer iniuries which there cannot be auoided My selfe and my brother Henry who died this yeere in the moneth of Iuly spent foure hundred and eighty pounds sterling in this iourney from England to Ierusalem and thence to Haleppo and in my particular iourney after his death to Constantinople
vitae which they call Harach and drinke as largely as Wine for ten meidines foure pounds of wine for one zechine Bisket for the Turkes haue no other bread but cakes baked on the harth for thirty meidines which things we prouided for our Supper and to carry with vs by the way yet might we haue bought and did buy most things by the way excepting Wine and Bread which are hardly found and must be carried by those that will haue them The guide of our Carauan was detained here by his businesse most part of the next day being Wednesday and in the meane time it fortunately happened that a Turkish Basha returning with his traine from his Gouernement and being to goe our way rested here so as his company freed vs the rest of our iourney from feare of theeues Vpon Wednesday in the afternoone we setforward in the company of this Basha and iournied all night in this Plaine wherein there was not the shadow of one tree and at eight of the clock the next morning we did sit downe in the open field resting vnder the ruines of old walles Here the Ianizaries of the Basha inquired curiously after the condition of me and my brother so as our Muccaro aduised vs to giue them halfe a piastro which they receiuing promised to defend vs from all iniury but in the meane time they did so swallow our wine as when it was spent we were forced to drinke water to which we were not vsed Vpon Thursday at three of the clock in the afternoone we set forward and about midnight we came to the Citie Marrha where our Muccaro and diuers others payed each of them ten meidines for cafar or tribute and at the Citie Gate a man was hanged in chaines also the next day we did see another impalled that is sitting and rotting vpon a stake fastned in the ground and thrust into his fundament and bowels Vpon Friday before day wee set forward and passing a stony barren way but full of Walnut trees vpon which many birds did sit and sing wee came in foure houers space to an Hospitall which they call Caon and it was stately built of stone in a round forme with arches round about the Court-yard vnder which arches each seuerall company chose their place to eate and rest both which they must doe vpon the ground except they bring Tables and beds with them Neither were any victuals there to be sold or dressed but euery man bought his victuals in the Village adioyning and dressed it after his manner The same Friday at foure in the afternoone wee went forward and riding all night did vpon Saturday early in the morning sleepe an hower in the open field while meate was giuen to our beasts Then going forward we came by Noone the same day being the nine and twentie of Iune after the Popes new stile which I haue followed hitherto being in company of Italians and Friers to the famous Citie of Haleppo where the English Merchants liuing in three houses as it were in Colledges entertained my brother and mee very 〈◊〉 And George Dorington the Consul of the English there led vs to the house wherein he liued with other Merchants and there most courteously entertained vs with plentifull diet good lodging and most friendly conuersation refusing to take any money for this our entertainement And howsoeuer wee brought him onely a bill of exchange for one hundred Crownes yet when we complained to him that we now perceiued the same would not serue our turnes hee freely lent vs as much more vpon our owne credit Yea when after my brothers death my selfe fell dangerously sicke and was forced to goe from those parts before I could recouer my health so as all men doubted of my returne into England yet he lent me a farre greater summe vpon my bare word which howsoeuer I duly repayed after my comming into England yet I confesse that I cannot sufficiently acknowledge his loue to mee and his noble consideration of poore and afflicted strangers The Citie Haleppo is said to haue the name of Halep which signifies milke because the Prouince is most fruitfull or of the word Aleph as the chiefe Citie of Syria and to haue been called of old Aram Sohab mentioned the second of Samuel the eight Chapter and third verse or at least to be built not farre from the ruines thereof The Trafficke in this place is exceeding great so as the goods of all Asia and the Easterne Ilands are brought hither or to Cayro in Egypt And before the Portugals found the way into East India these commodities were all brought from these two Cities And the Venetians and some free Cities of Italy solly enioyed all this trafficke of old But after that time the Portugals trading in East India serued all Europe with these commodities selling them yea and many adulterate Druggs at what price they listed cutting off most part of this trafficke from the Italians At last the French King making league with the great Turke the Merchants of Marsiles were made partners of this trafficke and in our age the English vnder the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth obtained like priuiledge though great opposition was made against them by the Venetians French Merchants And the Turkey company in London was at this time the richest of all other silently enioying the safety and profit of this trafficke vnderstand that when I wrote this the trafficke into the East Indies was nothing at all or very little knowne to the English or Flemmings This City lies within Land the Port whereof called Alexandretta by the Christians and Scanderona by the Turkes I shall hereafter describe The building of this City as of all houses in Syria is like to that of Ierusalem but one roofe high with a plaine top plaistered to walke vpon and with Arches before the houses vnder which they walke dry and keepe shops of wares The City is nothing lesse then well fortified but most pleasantly seated hauing many sweet gardens The aire was so hot as me thought I supped hot broth when I drew it in but it is very subtile so as the Christians comming hither from Scanderona a most vnhealthfull place hauing the aire choaked with Fens continually fall sicke and often die And this is the cause that the English Factors imployed here seldome returne into England the twentieth man scarcely liuing till his prentiship being out he may trade here for himselfe The Christians here and the Turkes at the Christians cost drinke excellent wines where of the white wines grow in that territory but the red wines are brought from Mount Libanus Moreouer all things for diet are sold at cheape rates and indeed the Turkes want not good meat but only good Cookes to dresse it The English Merchants can beare me witnes that these parts yeeld sheepe whereof the taile of one wreathed to the ground doth weigh some thirty or more pounds in fat and wooll In one of the City gates they shew the Sepulcher
conscience wherewith if the sicke man bee so affected as hee professeth himselfe to bee of the Reformed Religion then the Phisition and the Apothecarie are forbidden to helpe him and very Kitchin phisicke is denied him by the Priests command and if hee recouer hee shall bee sure to bee brought into the Inquisition but if hee die his body shall be buried in the high-way not in any Church-yard of which euents and the examples thereof I shall speake more largely in the Treaty of Religion in Italy Formerly I haue shewed that sickly men are vnfit for this course of life Now the preseruation of health consists in the vse of sixe things namely of Ayre Dyet Purging Exercise Sleepe and Accidents or Passions of the mind To shunne the incommodities of the Aire hee must respect the seasons of the yeere fit for iournies and the changes of diuers climes The Spring and Autumne are the most fit seasons for iourneys and he shall doe well to goe first to cold climes in summer times and to hot climes in the winter that hee may vse his body by little and little to these changes They who take iournies in Countries continually couered with snow vse to weare some greene thing before their eyes to comfort the sight and to carry hot odors to comfort the braine In Moscony subiect to great cold Men couer their neckes eares and vitall parts with furres and in time of snow weare a cot or couer for their noses and also rubbe their noses and faces with snow before they enter into the hot stoue lest sudden heate should putrifie the same as men of good credit report On the contrary in hot regions to auoide the beames of the Sunne in some places as in Italy they carry Vmbrels or things like a little Canopy ouer their heads but a learned Physician told me that the vse of them was dangerous because they gather the heate into a pyramidall point and thence cast it downe perpendicularly vpon the head except they know how to carry them for auoyding that danger Also in the hot clymes of Turkey they were thicke garments but loose and a thick Tulbant vpon their heads but hollow and borne vp from their heads and they shaue their heads all to make the Sunne-beames to haue lesse power vpon their bodies Touching the change of diet as also of the Aire a young man may change them by little and little but to old men the least change of them is dangerous Therefore let the Traueller vse himselfe before his iourney to these changes by little and little but in no extremity which he had better endure onely for the time when necessity forceth them vsing the best remedies as Antidotes against poyson namely warme clothes against cold and the like And in this he must vse moderation for little ill doth little hurt In the morning before he takes his iourney let him take a small breakefast that ill smels may not offend him let him dine sparingly lest his afternoones motion hinder digestion for the precept to make a light supper is for those that stay at home In his dinner often drinking and supping warme brothes helps the purging faculty The seasons of the yeere and the nature of the clime are to be respected in diet as well as in the change of Ayre In Winter and cold Regions let him take hot comfortable things but in Summer and hot Regions let him take things that coole the blood It is dangerous to drinke when his body is heated except hee first make water and wash his mouth and when he is heated let him not suddenly expose him selfe to cold In his Inne let him haue care to drie his feet and necke if they be wet The rules of health are infinite therefore let him take the Physicians aduice according to the state of his body I will onely adde that some very curiously thinke the Art of Cookery necessary for a Traueller It is not amisse that hee haue the skill to make a Cawdell or dresse some dish hee liketh Homer bringeth in Achilles dressing his meate in the Campe and wee reade that King Antigonus did see the Poet Antagoras seething a Conger in the Campe and said to him that Homer of Agamemnon spent not his time in dressing Congers who answered that Agamemnon vsed not to goe about the Campe to obserue who dressed Congers And indeed this Art is more necessary for a Souldier then a Traueller For the Traueller vseth not to goe into barbarous regions but to ciuill places where for the most part hee findes Ministers for this purpose but the warre wastes all Countries and carries desolation with it Touching the purging of the body as all repletion is ill and Socrates well aduised to take heed of those meates which inuited men to eate when they were not hungry so when the humours are growne through intemperancy it is good to purge them He that feeles any change in his body let him not neglect it but take physike which doing he may with a small remedy preuent great sickenesse and keepe his body in health afterwards not oppressing himselfe with meate nor enflaming his blood with violent motion This I speake of experience for my selfe thus taking physike once or twice had my health in forraigne parts for seuen yeeres after which time at last care which brings gray heires had almost killed me by griefe conceiued for the death of my most deare Brother in Asia In the morning and at noone let him offer thus to purge naturally in which nature for the most part yeelds to custome Nothing is a more certaine signe of sicknesse growing then the obstruction of the body against which in Italy I tooke each morning while I was so disposed a spoonefull of the sirrop of Corinthian Currants Damasco Prunes boyled and other moist things as Butter and Hony are good for this purpose as a German Phisitian writes whom I follow in this point And since my selfe God be thanked was neuer sickly neither haue the Art of Phisike and since I professe in the beginning of this Booke not onely to relate things obserued but also those I haue gathered by reading I trust I may without offence adde the said Doctors aduice for Trauellers instruction to my obseruations My experience hath taught mee that it is most dangerous to stop the Flux of the body which experience I dearely bought by the losse of my foresaid Brother and there is no better remedy for it then rest But if it continue many daies and too much weaken the body Rice well boyled hard Egges Water tempered with Steele red and sowrish Wines and Marmalate are good to bind the body Touching exercise since it must be gentle and onely till we raise colour into our faces not til we sweate it may seeme ridiculous to prescribe the same to Trauellers who are almost continually in motion Therefore I will onely admonish the Traueller to auoide extremity therein and that he neither drinke when he is hot nor
suddenly expose himselfe to cold and that when he is extremely cold hee likewise warme himselfe by little and little not suddenly at a great fier or in a hot stoue and that after dinner he rest a while Touching sleepe breeding by excesse raw humours and watching that dries the body they are happy who keepe the meane and they are the Phisitians friends who delight in extremes and to their counsell I commend them In the last place touching accidents or motions of the minde I will onely say that mirth is a great preseruer of health and sadnesse a very plague thereunto The bodie followes the temper of the mind as the temper of the mind followes that of the body My selfe haue been twice sicke to death in forraigne parts 〈◊〉 when I lost my dearest Brother Henry in Asia whose death I must euer lament with the same passion as Dauid did that of Absolon who wished to redeeme his life with his owne death and surely I freely professe his life had been more profitable then mine both to our friends and to the Common-wealth The second time I was sicke to death at home in England vpon a lesse iust but like cause namely griefe Thus being at the gates of death twice for griefe I found the Poet to say most truly that care maketh gray headed and Seneca no lesse truly that he who hath escaped Stix and the infernall Haggs to him in care hee will shew Hell it selfe To speake something of preseruing health by Sea He that would not vomit at all let him some dayes before he take ship and after at Sea diminish his accustomed meat and especially drinke and let him take the following remedies against ill smelles and weakenesse of stomack Some aduise that he should drinke Sea water mingled with his Wine and some more sparing that he drinke Sea water alone which dries cold humours and shuts the Orifice of the belly and stomack But I thinke they doe ill who altogether restraine vomiting for no doubt that working of the Sea is very healthfull Therefore I would rather aduise him to vse him accustomed diet till he haue sailed one day or two into the Maine or till he feele his body weake and thinkes it enough purged then let him take meates agreeable to the Sea in small proportion as powdred Beefe Neates-tongues dried and like salt meates and after eating let him seale his stomake with Marmalate Let him often eate Pomegranates Quinces Corianders prepared and such meates as are sharpe and comfort the stomake and let him drinke strong Wines and sometimes hot Waters but sparingly and let him dip a piece of bisket in his Wine And to restraine the extremity of vomiting till he be somewhat vsed to the Sea let him forbeare to looke vpon the waues of the Sea or much to lift vp his head To auoid the ill smelles of the ship hee may in Summer carry red Roses or the dried leaues thereof Lemmons Oranges and like things of good odour and in Winter hee may carry the roote or leaues of Angelica Cloues Rosemary and the foresaid Lemmons Oranges and Rose leaues To conclude if there bee no Phisitian in the ship let him that is sickly take counsell of the Phisitian at home for the remedies of that weakenesse to which himselfe is most subiect and of diseases most proper to Seamen especially if he take any long voiage 19 To teach the Traueller how to behaue himselfe in forraigne parts is a large and intricate precept whereof I will handle many branches in this and the next following Precepts It is an old saying Cum fueris Romae Romano viuito more Cum fueris alibi viuito more loci Being at Rome the Roman manners vse And otherwhere each places custome chuse Surely a Traueller must liue after other mens fashion not his owne alwaies auoiding extremities by discretion according to the Italian Prouerb Paese doue vai vsa comme truoui The Country where thou goest Vse thou as doe the most Now in this so great varietie of fashions in all Nations it seemes vnpossible to giue any set rules since the French say well Tant de payis tant'de guises As many Nations So many fashions And since no man is able to number these diuers euents first I aduise the Traueller in generall to be so wary as he aduenture not to doe any new thing till the example of others giue him confidence Let him reproue nothing in another mans house much lesse in a strange Common wealth in which kind it is not amisse to seeme dumb or tongue-tied so he diligently imploy his eyes and eares to obserue al profitable things Let him be curteous euen somewhat to wards the vice of curtesie to his Host the children and his fellow soiourners in the house I doe not aduise him to imitate them who will put off their hat to a very Dog for in all actions basenesse must bee shunned and decency embraced but it is veniall somewhat to offend in the better part applying our selues to the diuers natures of men If hee shall apply himselfe to their manners tongue apparrell and diet with whom he liues hee shall catch their loues as it were with a fish-hooke For diet he needes lesse care but for apparrell he must sit it to their liking for it is a good precept aswell at home as abroad to eate according to our owne appetite but to bee apparrelled to other mens liking I haue obserued the Germans and French in Italy to liue and conuerse most with their owne Countrimen disdaining to apply themselues to the Italians language apparrell and diet and the English aboue all others to subiect themselues to the Lawes customes language and apparrell of other Nations And hence it is that the conuersation of the English abroad is wonderfullie pleasing vnto strangers Onely because they are forced to dissemble their Countrie among Papists I haue found by experience that other Nations whose habit and name they take haue reaped the commendation of this their vertue and it is certaine that the Germanes whom the English do often personate haue thereupon beene often praysed in forraigne parts for their temperance and other vertues lesse proper to them In the meane time the English who are thus pleasing for this vertue while they dissemble their Countrie are by other accidents lesse agreeable to the liking of strangers in diuers places when they confesse what Countrie-men they are as in Italy for the difference of Religion in the Low-Countries for that many of them haue gone away in their debts in France and Scotland for the old hatred of both Nations and in the Hans or sea-bordering Cities for the many iniuries they pretend to haue receiued from English men of warre at Sea Perhaps seuere and froward censors may iudge it an apish vice thus to imitate other nations but in my opinion this obsequiousnes of conuersation making vs become all things to all men deserues the opinion of a wise man and one that is not subiect
them hauing the Lawes Magistrates People and all passengers together with a good cause on his side but this is peculiar to the English that not onely the officers of Iustice but all priuate men present or meeting him by chance are bound to apprehend a murtherer or any theefe that the next Constables or vnder officers are bound to pursue them by hue and cry from Village to Village and City to City And howsoeuer the English are for a great part discended of the French and so partaking with them nature and manners haue also like customes more specially in quarrels and single fights yet in France they haue not this custome to pursue and apprehend malefactors Onely they haue Marshals in seuerall Prouinces to pursue malefactors with light horses but otherwise onely the officers of Iustice vse to apprehend them in Cities And of late to represse the malice of men after a long ciuill warre breaking out into single fights and murthers they haue made seuere Lawes and imposed great penalties vpon those that quarrell especially if any bloud be shed whereas in England onely man slaiers are called in capitall question and small or no punishment is inflicted vpon one that lightly wounds another For the rest the French and English haue the same aptnesse to quarrels and the same brauerie in these single fights Also the Scots are therein like the English saue that the Scots will take parts and assaile an enemie with disparitie of numbers and armes wherein also the Northerne English are not at this day fully reformed In this kind the Barbarous Irish doe offend in Ireland but the English and Irish-English there haue the customes of the English And in times of peace few or no theeues rob by the high waies of Ireland but the stealths of Cowes Horses and Sheepe are frequent All I haue said of this subiect is onely to this purpose that the Traueller being informed of the condition of Iustice Combats and Roberies in forraigne parts may better learne to apply himselfe to patience and to vse moderation according to the necessitie danger more proper to him then others in diuers places 24 Being to write of simulation I am at a stay and grope for passage as in a darke Labyrinth for the voyce of the Vulgar esteemes the vice of dissimulation proper to a Traueller and highly doth reproch him there with Shall we then say that hee who knowes so to liue with Italians Spaniards and very barbarous Pagans as he can gaine their well-wishing will be at home and among his friends subiect to the odious vice of dissimulation the very plague of true friendship Surely by trauell the good become better in all kinds of vertue and the ill more wicked in all vices But let the indifferent Iudge tell me if the greater part of Clownes vnder their rugged cotes and most Lawyers and Merchants vnder the shadow of faire words and sometimes wicked periuries haue not more skill to dissemble if that be to deceiue then any Traualer whatsoeuer not excepting Plato himselfe No doubt simulation in fit place and time is a vertue He that cannot dissemble cannot liue But hee that so dissembles as he is accounted a dissembler indeed hath not the skill to dissemble but is noted with that infamy so as another shall better bee belieued vpon his word then hee vpon his oath Cicero commends the saying of Epicharmus Remember to distrust and calles it the sinew of wisedome and the Italians haue a Prouerb Da chi mifido miguarda Dio Da chinon mifido miguarderò io From him I trust God helpe me at my neede Of him I trust not my selfe will take heede Antigonus prayes God to defend him from his friends Let me speake of mine owne experience My selfe was neuer deceiued by the Italians whom I suspected but by a German which Nation hath a cleare countenance and generall reputation of honesty I was at Lindaw stripped and cousoned for a time of al the gold I carried about me Therefore it is a point of art for a Traueller to know how to auoide deceit and how to dissemble honesty I meane to saue himselfe not to deceiue others Let him haue a cleare countenance to all men and an open brest to his friend but when there is question of his Countries good of his enemies lying in waite for him of his owne credit or life let him shut his bosome close from his inward friends That Counsell thou wouldest haue another keepe first keepe it thy selfe A Traueller must dissemble his long iourneys yet onely in dangerous places and among suspected persons My selfe haue obserued some too warie in this kinde who in most safe waies vsed grosse caution to hide from their neere friend the purpose of their iourney and sometimes in Cities would conceale where and what hower they dined and supped In like sort a traueller must sometimes hide his money change his habit dissemble his Country and fairely conceale his Religion but this hee must doe onely when necessity forceth Let mee insist vpon some examples which are most proper to manifest the truth in a darke argument My selfe in Italy many times passed for a German and then consorted my selfe with Germans faithfull companions as they bee all in generall haters of drunkennes as some of them be either drinking altogether water or vsing the French diet and of the same Religion with me as those are of the Palatinate of Rheme and in some other Prouinces Then I couenanted with these my consorts that when any man spake Dutch to me though I had some skill in that Language especially for vulgar speeches and most of all if wee were in any long discourse one of them should take the answere out of my mouth as being slow of speech though it were done somewhat vnmannerly Secondly that if I were discouered in any dangerous place not to be a German as I professed they should say that I was vnknowne to them and by the way fell into their company and so withdrawing themselues out of danger by leauing the place should leaue to me the care of my selfe And with these consorts I went to Naples and there confidently though lesse wisely in respect of the warre betweene England and Spaine I entered to view the strong Fort kept by the Spaniards and after went to Milan Another time vnder the name of a Polonian I went to the Duke of Loraine his Court at Nanzi where being curiously sifted by the guard at the City-gate and being asked many questions about the King and Queene and State of Poland I so satisfied them as they admitted me into the City but when at the very entrance they bad me hold vp my hand which ceremony the French vse in taking of othes I was much affraied least they should put me to my oath for my Country but when they had asked me if I came not from any place infected with the plague and I had answered no vpon my oth they let me passe into
pauements with their wheeles and the waggons being often changed in each dayes iourney this carriage to his Inne and from it so often must needes be a great burthen to his shoulders or charge to his purse The Waggoners being commonly drunken driue their Mares like mad men yet without danger of turning ouer their Waggons because the wayes are most plaine faire and sandy From Delph to Hage being two houres iourney with consorts I paied two stiuers for my Waggon and alone I paide seuen The way lies betweene ditches and is plaine and safe the Countrey people continually repairing it For otherwise the wayes in this low watry soyle could not be so drie and sandy as they are And because they cast vp sand vpon the passengers some curious men vse spectacles of glasse to preserue their eyes On all sides from City to City they haue ditches cut vpon which boates passe almost euery hower to and fro and giue passage at a low rate and the wind being faire they beare sayles otherwise they are drawne by Horses or by Marriners with a rope fastened vpon a pole set vp in the hinder part of the boate and the Marriners being commonly drunke through their too much hast and negligence it often happens that the ropes wherewith the boates are drawne catch hold on some posts and stakes by the way or chance to be intangled with the horses or roapes of other boates meeting them and so ouerturne them in the water with no small danger to the passengers The rates of passages by boate are diuers but euer small My selfe haue passed three miles for foure stiuers seuen miles for sixe stiuers and foureteene miles as from Amsterdam to Harlingen for eight stiuers The Marriners vse not to deceiue strangers in the rates neither can they easily doe it they being vulgarly knowne to euery child Euery day and at a set hower the Boates must goe away with those passengers they haue and may not stay for more and if at any time some few passengers or any one alone will pay the whole fraight of the Boate then they must without any delay transport those passengers or that one man This I will illustrate with one example A Barke must euerie day at a set hower set sayles from Harlingen a Citie in Freesland to Amsterdam a Citie in Holland and like are the customes of other Cities for mutuall trafficke neither may the couetous Marriners stay one minute after the hower and after it is neuer so little loosed from the strand it may not come backe to the shoare though neuer so many passengers should come suddenly and desire to bee receiued into it but these new passengers must hire another barke the price whereof is vulgarly knowne and that being offered by them or any one passenger the Marriners may 〈◊〉 to goe presently away Sometimes it happens that one Barke receiues so many passengers as the owner gets tenne Flemmish guldens for one fraight for if great number of passengers comes before the appointed hower that turnes to the Marriners profit But if one man alone or few men doe after the appointed hower offer to giue fiue guldens for the said passage they may not reruse presently to transport him or them The like custome is kept in other Cities for small boates and short passages namely that tenne conforts which are most readthe found shall pay each man three stiuers for his passage and if one or two being in haste will pay these thirty stiuers the boate without delay must carry him or them I cannot denie but these rates of hiring barkes or boates are subiect to change For in the passage from Harlingen to Amsterdam my selfe paid eight stiuers for my transporting which of old was but fiue stiuers a man As likewise for small boats we then paid three stiuers for a passage which of old was but one blanck But in the meane time these increases are not raised by the Marriners couetousnesse after their pleasure but by the publike authority of the Magistrate in lawfull and decent manner In the publike Innes a passenger paies some ten or fourteene stiuers 〈◊〉 but if he drinke wine that will cost as much more by reason of the great impositions vpon the Wines Besides that the Flemmings his consorts drinking beere stiffely especially if they light vpon English beere and drinke being put into the common reckoning of the company a stranger shall pay for their intemperancy The Danes haue such and the same waggons as the Flemmings which a man alone or few or more consorts may hire some foure miles being a short dayes iourney for 20 or 24 Lubeck shillings or about that rate Trauellers vse not to passe on horsebacke The Coachmen pay for their owne diet and their horses meate My selfe commonly paid each meale for my diet sixe Lubeck shillings reckoning three for beere apart and in some places ioyntly for both foure Lubeck that is eight Danish shillings Lastly I was carried in a boate foure miles by the Sea-coast for eight Lubeck shillings Poland for the most part or almost all is a plaine Countrie fit for the passing of coches which may be hired in Cities and a 〈◊〉 to those of Germany From Dantzke to Crakaw being ten daies iourney a coach may be hired for some 44 German guldens My selfe paid there for my part six guldens leauing the Coach after foure daies iourney because the horses were tired And for my diet two of those dayes vpon our guides reckoning my part came to two guldens but I am sure he deceiued vs. In one Citie by the way fiue of vs paid 2 dollers for one supper but my selfe after passing alone commonly dined in villages for 2 or 3 grosh and supped for 4 or 6 grosh They vse to carry a bed in the Coach and to sit vpon it in the day time for otherwise no beds are to be found but onely in great Cities which are very rare And they who will haue wine must also carry it with them for it is not to be had but onelie in great Cities Our Horses as I said being tired we left our Coach and by the Kings letter or warrant granted to one of our company we tooke vp horses and that for small prices namely one or two Grosh for a Polish or Dutch mile But the Polonians for the most part ride on horsebacke and the most conuenient and frugall course for passengers is to buy horses and sell them in Italy after their iourney neither shall they want horse-men to beare them company from City to City but he that is a horse-man cannot carrie his bed so must haue patience to rest vpon a bench til he shall find beds vpon the confines of Germany In the meane time his long horsmans coat which the Polonians Hungarians generally vse may with straw make his logding more cōuenient especially if it be lined with Woolues skinnes or like furres for the Winter time Neither shall he neede to feare any cold since the
the walles of the City At Pisa in Italy they haue a publike place of buriall like in fashion to these but within the walles of the Citie and the building compassing it is very stately and much to be preferred before that of Leipzig This place is called Campo santo that is the holy field either of the vse or because the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa returning from the holy Land and taking that earth for ballast of his ships did after lay the same in this place The Exchange or publike place for the meeting of Merchants and for the selling of smaller or richer wares at London being built of Free-stone by Sir Thomas Gresham Knight and Merchant is the most starely building in that kind that I haue seene in Europe or Turkey For that of Antwerp in imitation whereof this is said to haue been built was neuer seene by me and I haue heard many preferre this before that Ancona in Italy hath such a place much lesse but very beautifull and that of Hamburg in Germany is much to be commended That of Constantinople called Besensteine is markable rather for the precious wares and iewels then for the building which is onely of Bricke and therein also they sell captiues for slaues For publike houses built for the meeting of the Senate there be many in Germany which are very starely and among them that of Hamburg seemed to mee the fairest The Germans Low-countrimen and Sweitzers haue in each City publike houses where the Citizens meete to walke and for exercises as shooting in the peece and Crossebow and where they also drinke and feast together Those of Sweitzerland are lesse sumptuous for building but much more pleasant hauing trees within the boughes whereof they haue roomes or arbours built vpon the bodies of the trees whereof diuers containe three or foure Tables besides that water is drawne vp by pipes to the top of the tree for washing of glasses and like vses Among the Stables of Princes that of the Duke of Saxony at Dresden in Germany is the fairest of all other and a rare building for that purpose For Clocks that of Strasburg in Germany is most artificiall and to bee wondred at and is much to bee preferred before that of Lubeck or any other in the World In Italy there be many wonderfull ruines of old Theaters water Conduits and like monuments in many places but these ruines belong not properly to this discourse and there be few like built of late Onely the water Counduit at Rome newly built by Pope Sixtus Quintus is a Kingly worke And the Theater at Vicenza now standing and in vse for Comedies is faire and starely The Theaters at London in England for Stageplaies are more remarkeable for the number and for the capacity then for the building The Bridge at London is worthily to be numbred among the miracles of the world if men respect the building and foundation laid artificially and stately ouer an ebbing and flowing water vpon 21 piles of stone with 20 arches vnder which Barkes may passe the lowest foūdation being as they say packs of woll most durable against the force of the water and not to be repaired but vpon great fall of the waters and by artificiall turning or stopping the recourse of them Or if men respect the houses built vpon the bridge as great and high as those of the firme land so as a man cannot know that he passeth a bridge but would iudge himselfe to be in the streete saue that the houses on both sides are combined in the top making the passage somewhat darke and that in some few open places the Riuer of Thames may be seene on both sides In the second rancke is the bridge of our Lady at Paris in France The next place belongs to the bridge of Venice called Realto consisting of one but an high Arch and built partly of marble partly of freestone and to be ascended by many staires on both sides and hauing low shoppes vpon the ascents and on the top and for the building of the whole bridge being more stately then that of Paris In the fourth rancke is the bridge of Florence ouer the riuer Arno and for bare bridges hauing no buildings vpon them the bridge of Dresden in Germany and many other bridges in England in my opinion might be preferred before that of Florence had it not those houses built vpon it But the bridge of Rome called Sant ' Angelo is not worth the naming howsoeuer the Italians after their bragging manner haue made the same appeare famous to men that neuer saw it as likewise they haue spread the fame of the Roman Riuer Tyberis which at Rome and running vnder this bridge deserues rather to be accounted a little brooke or a ditch then a Riuer And as for the inundations thereof they are rather to be attributed to the narrownesse of the bed then the greatnesse of the Riuer onely increasing vpon the fall of raine or melted snow from the neighbour mountaines and making no Hauen at the very mouth where it enters into the Sea Surely howsoeuer the Italians were of old very magnificent in many things yet by obtruding their Latin tongue to all Nations they conquered they did likewise make them conceiue of euery spring brooke and porch as of the Worlds miracles And there be some among them at this day who in their sleeues laugh at Trauellers curiously searching after these Antiquities thus made famous by old Writers and who take pleasure to delude this their simplicity for such they esteeme it howsoeuer wee doe but by the way search after them hauing more profitable ends of our iournies into Italie There be some other bridges of exceeding length as those of Strasburg and Wien more knowne by the name of Vienna in Germany but they being onely built of timber and laid ouer with loose peeces of timber that vpon danger of Armies and inundations they may be more easily broken and built vp againe and so being nothing lesse then durable I doe onely here mention them The Goldsmiths shops at London in England being in diuers streetes but especially that called Cheapc-side are exceeding richly furnished continually with gold and siluer plate and Iewels The Goldsmiths shops vpon the bridges at Florence and Paris haue perhaps sometimes beene as richly or better furnished for the time or some nuptiall Feast of the Princes or like occasion with Plate and Iewels borrowed of priuate persons for that purpose but I may lawfully say setting all loue of my Countrey apart that I did neuer see any such daily shew any thing so sumptuous in any place of the World as in London I will not speake in this place of Churches and Academicall Colledges but referre them to their proper places where in the last Part I shall treat of Religion and Vniuersities Onely here it shall suffice in a word to say that the Churches in England and Colledges in the Vniuersities
strong invincible professors therein In Saxony when the gates of the Cities are to be shut while they that dwell in the subburbs passing out doe reele from one side of the streete to the other as if it were too narrow for them to walke in while they stumble and fall in the durt while they by stradling with their legges as if a Cart should passe betweene them doe for the most part beare vp them selues from falling yet iostle euery post pillar and passenger by the way while the gates of the City seeme not wide enough for them to passe except the wals also were pulled downe Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Friends sdmitted to behold from laughter can you then withhold For howsoeuer the richer sort hide this intemperance for the most part by keeping at home surely the vulgar yeeld this daily spectacle Yet in truth it is no shame especially in Saxony euen to spew at the Table in their next fellowes bosome or to pisse vnder the Table and afterwards in their beds And I know not how the fellowship of drunkards is so pleasing to them as a man shall with no other quality make so many friends as with this so as he that wil be welcome in their company or desires to learne their language must needs practice this excesse in some measure When they drinke if any man chance to come in and sit in the roome though he be a stranger of another Nation they doe not onely coniure him to pledge them by the bond of friendship of his Fathers Nobility and his Mothers chaflity but if need be compell him by force therunto vulgarly crying Kanstunight sauffen vnd fiessen so kanstu keinem hein wol dienen If thou canst not swill and deuoure thou canft serue no Master well In the meane time they like not to drinke grear draughts wherein our Countrey men put them downe but they will spend an Age in swoping and sipping Their Coachmen are in this kind so tender hearted to their Horses that out of a fellow feeling of thirst they will suffer them to drinke in standing water scarce couering their shooes when they sweat by the high way The Germans repute it such honour to them to haue abundance of wine as the very Princes striue as for a Princely preheminence who shall haue the hugest and most capable vessels in his Cellar Some of these vessels containe more then a thousand measures each of seuenty Cans or Pots and are ascended by twenty or thirty staires Out of this vessell they daily draw wine and being halfe emptied they fill it vp againe but at the birth of a child or any like feast they turne this Monster loose for all commers to tame it and drinke it out to the bottome Passengers in the Innes of lower Germany so make their reckoning at dinner as they reserue a grtat proportion to drinke before they take Coach Once I obserued that my selfe and seuen consorts after dinner vpon a full gorge had sixteene great pots to drinke at parting at which time one of our consorts being a Horseman and not fit to ride was taken into our Coach and sitting by me now laughing then weeping and often knocking his head against mine at last defiled me by casting his stomacke in my bosome with no reproch to himselfe among his Countreymen but vnspeakeable offence to me When they are sit downe to drinke if any man come in by chance each one at the Table salutes him with a Cup all which garausses he must drinke as for a fine before he can be admitted into their number for they are very iealous that any man being sober should behold their quaffing so as a man had better fall among the thickest of his enemies fighting then into the company of his friends drinking He that reades this would thinke that they drunke sweet Nectar at the least or some like drinke inuiting excesse but in lower Germany sometimes and rarely they drinke Rhenish Wine commonly Beere and that so thicke and ill smelling and sometimes medicinall as a stranger would think it more fit to be eaten or cast into the sinke then to be drunke wherof a drop once falling on my hand seemed to me foule puddle water Their Wines in generall are sharpe and those of the Rheine small which are to be had in their Cities and when I first passed to Leipzeg and being ignorant of the language was forced to commit my selfe to a Conducter and after my couenant with him for my diet desired him to carry some glasse bottels of wine in our Coach yet he could not in the way vse it temperately but either would allow vs no wine at all or at one meale drunke off a whole great bottell as if he thought it a shame to taste it and not drinke all out at once Thus as often it fals out in Princes Courts that a stranger may die of thirst but he that is acquainted in Court shall hardly escape sober so he gaue me either no wine or too much In vpper Germany for the most part they drinke wine and that with some lesse excesse then is vsed in the lower parts yet so as in this vice they degenerate not from their Countreymen The Germans of Prussia formerly praised by me must pardon me if I taske them with this vice as much as the rest When I passed from Meluin to Dantzke my companion by the way shewed me a Towr called Groske where certaine Husbandmen being vpon a wager to drinke twelue measures of wine which we call lasts and vse for proportions of Merchants wares not for wine or beere did roast vpon a spit one of their consorts because he left them before the taske was performed and to saue their liues for this murther paid their Prince as many siluer grosh as could lie betweene that Tower the City of Dantzke In generall the Germans want not many exemplary punishments and effects of this vice For many quarrelling in drink are killed and he that kils neuer escapes if he be taken I remember that a Gentleman of Brunswicke riding from Hamburge to his home when he was extremely drunken was next day found torne in many peeces by the striking of his Horse when he fell out of the saddle which was a miserable and exemplary kinde of death And the like mischiefe befell another while I was at Torge in Misen And a Physician a familiar friend of mine tolde mee that many Germans dying suddenly vpon excesse of drinking were ordinarily for hiding of the shame giuen out to die of the falling sickenesse In their drinking they vse no mirth and little discourse but sadly ply the buisinesse sometimes crying one to the other Seyte frolich Be merry Drinke aus Drinke out and as according to the Prouerbe euery Psalme ends in Gloria so euery speech of theirs ends in Ich brings euch I drinke to you For frolicks they pinch and that very rudely their next Neighbours arme or thigh which goes
the measure There be in the same golden Bull many Lawes made against drunkennesse at such time as the Germans hauing warre with the Turkes beganne to looke into themselues for reforming of notorious vices wherein it is decreed that Courtiers giuen to this vice should be expelled the Courts of Princes and that all Magistrates should search out drunkards and seuerely punish them But giue me one Prince free of this vice who may thus punish his Courtiers My selfe being at a great Dukes funerall did see a Prince his neere cozen drinke so stiffely to expell sorrow as all his sences and almost his spirits were suffocated there with and of many Princes there present pardon me to speake truth I did not see one sober at this funerall Feast what would these Princes haue done at a Marriage Princes haue a custome to drinke by Attourney when they are sickely or ill disposed and many times they reward this substitute strongly bearing much drinke as for a good seruice to the Common wealth yet except they be very sicke few are found which will not in person performe their owne taske Giue me one Magistrate of so many thousands who with his owne innocency is armed with boldnesse to punish others Giue mee one I am ashamed to say it but truth is truth I say giue me one Minister of Gods Word who preacheth against excesse of drinking My selfe haue heard some hundreths of their Sermons yet neuer heard any inuectiue against this vice Turpe est Doctori cam eulpa redurguit ipsum The teacher needs must be ashamed Who for the same offence is blamed Onely the Weomen of Germany are most temperate in eating and drinking and of all I did euer see most modest in all kinds of vertue yet the Weomen of Bohemia vse as great or little lesse excesse in drinking as Men not without a staine to their reputation of chastity The Weomen of Germany haue a custome to helpe their Husbands or Friends by sipping of the cup but I did neuer see any chast woman as most of them are drinke largely much lesse to be drunken But for Men of all sorts whatsoeuer Si quoties peccant toties sua fulmina mittat Princeps exiguo tempore inermis erit If the Prince smite as oft as they offend His Sword and Arme will faile him ere the end Thus howsoeuer the Germans be honest deceiuing neither stranger nor Countrey man and haue abundance of all things to sustaine life yet strangers by reason of the generall in temperance of the Nation are either allured to participate this vice of drinking with them or at least by ill custome are drawne to partake their punishment in paying of the shot and through their churlish rusticity are ill entertained and yet forced to reward the seruants whose attendance deserues nothing lesse It remaines that I should enforme passengers how to apply themselues to the Germans in this drinking custome so as at least with lesse hurt or offence they may passe throught their territories For those who passe suddenly through the same without long abode in any place nothing is more easie then to shunne all participation of this nice by consorting themselues with fit companions in their journey so as they being the greater part as well in the Coach as at the Table may rather draw the lesser part in sobriety then be induced by them to excesse But they who desire to conuerse with the 〈◊〉 and to learne their language cannot possibly keepe within the bounds of 〈◊〉 and must vse art to shunne great or daily excesse Such a passenger sitting do 〈◊〉 Table must not presently drinke of all the Cups begunne to him from others for the Germans are so exceeding charitable to all Men as they will furnish him presently with new Cuppes on all hands for feare that hee should suffer thirst He shall doe better to set the cups in order before his trencher and first to drinke of those of lesser quantity but euer to keepe one or two of the greatest to returne in exchange to him that drinkes to him For this kind of reuenge as I may terme it the Germans feare more then the Irish doe great gunnes and to auoide the same will forbeare to prouoke him with garausses For they loue not healths in great measures which they call Infloribus but had much rather sip then swallow In this kinde I remember a pleasant French Gentleman much distasted them who inuited to a feast and admonished that hee could not possibly returne sober did at the very beginning of supper drinke great garausles of himselfe calling for them besides the small healths commended to him from others which vnwonted kind of skirmishing when they disliked he presently replied Why should we leese time since we must be drunken let vs doe it quickly the sooner the better and therewith hee so tyred those at the table as hee found no man would in that kind contend with him But to the purpose If the cuppes set about his trencher increase in number he may easily finde occasion as when his consorts goe out to make water either to conuey some of them to their trenchers or to giue them to the seruant to let away After supper he may nod and sleepe as if he were drunken for Stultitcam simulare loco prudentia summa Sometimes the foole to play Is wisdome great they say And so hee shall bee led to a bed which they haue in all their stoues and call the Faulbett that is the slothfull bed Otherwise hee may faine head-ach or feare of an ague or if these excuses preuaile not as seldome they doe while hee states in the roome because they cannot indure to haue a sober man behold them drinking then as if hee went out to make water or speake with some friend hee shall doe best to steale away and howsoeuer hee haue confidently promised to returne yet to come no more that night no not to fetch his cloake or hat which are alwaies laid vp safely for him especially if hee foresee the skirmish like to bee hot But aboue all let him take heede of the old fashion to take leaue of his companions and bid them good night for the Germans vpon no intreaty or excuse will suffer any man to goe to bed so sober If there bee musicke and dancing their dances being of no Art and small toyle hee had much better daunce with the women till midnight then returne to the table among the drinkers for one of these foure he must doe drinke sleepe daunce or steale away no fifth course remaines Lastly let him warily chuse his companions of that Nation with good triall of their honest dispositions But with strangers as English French and Polakes let him carefully eschew excesse of drinking For these and especially the English when they are heated with drinke are obserued to bee mad in taking exceptions and in the ill effects of fury being more prone to quarrels then the Dutch and hauing no meane in imitating
numbers of Silke-wormes especially at Tripoli and in most parts of Asia which make great quantitie of Silke as I formerly said in the discourse of Italy yet they sell this Silke raw and vnwonen and buy of the Venetians the foresaid clothes made of their owne silke so as the silkewormes may well be said to bee more diligent and more to promote the publike good then the inhabitants for they swarming in all Gardens diligentlie finish their web while the idle inhabitants yeeld the commoditie thereof to strangers The Venetians also export from Turkey Spices and Apothecary wares and great quantitie of the Dye called Indico They export Galles Cotten wooll Cotton threads Chamlets or Grograms made of the finest haires of Goates not sheared but pulled off from their backes and wouen in Galatia a Prouince of the lesser Asia They export Turkey Carpets Goates skinnes wrought and died into diuers colours The English bring to the Turkes Kersies wrought and dyed of diuers colours and kinds but they bring little Broad-cloth wherewith they are aboundantlie furnished from Venice They also bring to them Tinne and blacke Conni-skinnes in such quantitic as the Turkes admiring the same a Frenchman merily taxing our womens affabilitie said that in England there was such plenty of Connyes and they so tame as they were taken in the Tauerns The English export from them Spices and Apothecary wares for the Trade into the East Indies was not then set vp they also export the foresaid commodities raw silke Indico and other precious Dyes of Scarlet Purple and the like Galles Mastick growing onely in the Iland Zio Cotton and the thread thereof Turkey Carpets for tables Chamlets Grograms of Goates haire The Merchants comming to Constantinople hardly find there any commodities to export therefore the English ships hauing vnladed there saile empty to Alexandretta and there receiue the commodities of Haleppo Againe the Italians who bring much gold and siluer to Haleppo for the commodities there to bee sold doe againe receiue gold and siluer for such commodities as they bring to Constantinople and carry the same backe to Venice The English lying at the Ilands of Zant and Cephalonia subiect to the Venetians and at Petrasso seated in the Gulfe of Corinth and subiect to the great Turke export Corrands others from Algier a Port of Barbary export Sugar others from the Iland Candia subiect to the Venetians export Muskadines and others from diuers Ilands export earthen dishes and vessels painted which for the purenesse are much esteemed and vsed in Italy and in our parts Northward The swords of Damasco are famous for the mettall piercing iron and cutting a naile in pieces but the exportation of them is forbidden though out Christians supply the Turkes with all warlike munitions which they might shame to haue particularly named in this discourse of traffick The precious Orientall commodities of Persia and the East Indies haue made the Trade of Turkish Cities to bee famous namely their spices and rich dies and Iewels which notwithstanding the Turkes haue in part of their owne For I formerly said that Arabia yeelds Frankinsence Mirrh Cinnamon and Iewels and AEgypt yeeldes Balsam and Opobalsam the more precious gumme of the Balmetree in great quantity omitting many commodities which besides they haue of these kinds I speake not of Thessalonica a City of Macedonia now called Saloniche nor other Hauens and Cities of trafficke in Greece as being of lesse moment All the precious traffick of Turkey by reason of the inhabitants slothfulnesse is in the hands of lewes and of Christians and was long in the sole hands of the Venetians but the French in the age past and the English in our age haue had as I may say a traffickiug league with the Turkes and so partake that trade And these three States onely not to speake of the Germans who at this time had warre with the Turkes and neuer saile so farre to exercise trafficke among so many States of Christians haue their Ambassadours at the Turkish Court And if any other Christians arriue in that Empire as the Flemmings often doe they vsed at this time to come vnder the Banner of one of these three Nations The Reader must vnderstand that when I was in Turkey the English and Flemmings had not as yet begun their traffick in the East Indies which is like to destroy the trafficke in Turkey bringing many rich commodities from the well head For their dyet the Turkes liue sparingly I had said slouenly but that I remembred their frequent bathings and washings and the curious clenlinesse of the linnen and all other clothes which they weare but I will bee bold to say they feede negligently and without any pompe or magnificence The richer sort doe fit at meate like Tailors with their knees bended vpon carpets or vpon the grasse when they eate by Riuers sides and in Gardens as they doe more frequently then in the house And their table is so low as they may well reach to it sitting vpon the ground About this table they cast a long towell to wipe their hands but passengers by the high-way and generally the ordinary sort of Turkes vse grasse in stead of this towell Others carry about a table of leather coloured red or yellow which table shuts and opens like a purse and vpon it they can set but one dish at once it hanging hollow vpon certaine buckels Commonly they eate by the high-way vpon the ground and alwaies with their knees bended like our Taylors They seeth their meat till it be very tender so as they may breake it with theit fingers for they haue no kniues neither haue they variety of dishes set before them but all sitting in a circle fall vpon one dish Taking meat they all together say a short prayer or grace and talke not whilest they eate but silently fall hard to their worke They haue aboundance of all things for foode aswell of flesh excepting swines-flesh as of birds and other meates but they abstaine from fish They haue plenty of Corne at least sufficient for their temperate dyet which is exceeding good and farre bigger then ours They are ignorant of the Arts of birding fouling hunting or cookery and hauing no lasciuicus apetite prouoking them to gluttony are content with simple meates Their sobrietie in this kind cannot sufficiently be commended and since their greatest men can bee content to feede on rice and drinke water it is no maruell that with ease they keepe great Armies in the field All the Turkish housholdstuffe is contained in one poore pot to seeth meate in one spoone of wood one cup of leather or wood to drinke in a poore bed or matresse yea often a single couerled alone and the earth serues them for bedsteed table and stooles They haue no neede of a troope of cookes and scullions to dresse meate and make cleane dishes They willingly eate curds turned sower and mingled with bread and water commonly called Mishmish and fresh cheese or curds
my opinion The Italians haue small moneys of brasse and for the least of them a man may buy bread little papers of spice or any such thing that is to be sold. These small moneys the aboundance of people in a narrow land and the common peoples pouerty but most of all their innated pride such as they had rather starue for want then beg these things make them doe any seruice for a stranger for a small reward and make the passages of Riuers or Channells as at Venice and all necessaries to be affoorded for a small piece of money Neither is it a small commoditie of these little brasse moneys that it makes the meaner sort more ready to giue almes This benefit the English may well know by the want of like moneys whereby the hire of Porters all rewards and each almes being giuen in siluer money and the small pieces thereof being rare all expences are much increased The women of Italy know not the price of any thing or euer goe to Markets scarce are allowed to go to Church neither do they trust their seruants to make their market but the richest of all Italy and most noble especially in Venice daily buy their owne victuals and other necessaries And in all Market-places stand little boyes with baskets to carry any thing that is bought to their houses which they easily find knowing all streetes and allyes and neuer faile to performe this honestly though the buyer leaue them and according to their custome goe about his other affaires for if they should fayle they cannot escape punishment being easily to be found in the Markets where they vse daily to stand and well knowne by face and name Yet in truth the Italians dyet is so sparing as almost strangers alone vse these little Porters and the very Gentlemen of Venice which notwithstanding arrogate to themselues a preheminence aboue all Gentlemen of Italy with the singular title of Clarissimi carry home what they buy to eate either in the sleeues of their gownes or in a cleane handkercher They spend much bread and oyle and the very Porters feede on most pure white bread almost without any other meat except it be some roots And those that are richer do for the most part feede on bread neither remember I to haue euer seene brown bread in Italy only they eate sailets of hearbs with their bread and mingle them with oyle And I remember that I saw a barrell of oyle sold for twenty lyres and a bushell of Wheate containing forty eight measures called Sata by the Latines vsed by the Hebrews for 120 lyres but the very Gentlemen buy their bread of the Bakers Many times especially in short dayes of Winter they will breake their fasts with a bit of cake-bread or sweet bread called vulgarly pasta reale ciambolini and generally Gentilezze and a cup of sweete Wine and so abstaine from dinner For the most part at table they vse blacke or bay salt which the Venetians hauing of their owne for bid the vse of any white salt brought into the territory so as it is onely sold by stealth and with danger of penaltie The Magistrate daily vseth to set the price of flesh and all things sold in the Market especially in the vpper parts of Italy and namely at Sienna where strangers liue very commodiously and by this custome a stranger can no more be deceiued then one of the Country In the State of Florente and especially at Sienna a stranger may liue more commodiously then in any other part of Italy because the inhabitants are most curteous so as at Sienna they admit strangers to conuerse and dance with the chiefe Gentlewomen of the Citie and because the language especially at Sienna is held the most pure as also for that victuale are very cheape and strangers neede not stand in feare of being murthered as in Lombardy they doe In the State of Milan there is plenty of all kinds of flesh especially of mutton and abundance of whittmeates being commended aboue all other parts of Italy for delicate butter not to be had otherwhere except in some few large Valleys and excellent cheeses whereof great quantity is transported into forraigne parts And they no lesse then the Netherlanders serue in butter and cheese euery meale for the first and last dishes In the Market places of Venice there is plenty of mutton and veale sold in little portions and by weight there as in all Italy and there is also plenty of fish hennes egges Turkey hennes and some store of birds with great abundance of red herrings and pickled herrings Sardelle anchone and like pickled fishes of Cauiale a salt liquor made of fish and Botargo as I thinke the rone of a fish of Piacentine cheese and cheese of Parma of mushroms snailes the hinder parts of frogs all held for great dainties And these things are to be had in more abundance because the common sort eate little or no flesh or fish or birds but onely hearbs pulse snailes and rootes with white bread I haue spoken formerly of their fishing at Sea and their shell-fishes which they much esteeme and Sea-fishes are indeed rarely found but onely at Venice Also they haue little store of fresh-water fish onely there is great aboundance of eeles where the Riuer Po endes in a Lake neere the Adriatick Sea in the Dukedome of Feraria The vpper parts of Italy yeeld the same things but in a farre lesse quantity and in Toscany they frequently eate young Goates flesh which is very good and sauory and sometimes there will be wild Bores to be sold and they delight much in fresh curds newly pressed and made into little cheeses The Italians sell al kinds of flesh in little pieces and all things for diet in little portions that the meaner sort if they list may at least taste the greatest dainties The inner parts of Goates vulgarly Animale and the stones of Rammes and Regles vulgarly Granella are esteemed great dainties especially in Toscany which we cast away being very good meate fried And because the land is more populous then plentifull in victuals they eate layes and other birdes which we esteeme vnwholsome In generall the Italians and more specially the Florentines are most neare at the Table and in their Innes from morning to night the Tables are spread with white cloathes strewed with flowers and figge leaues with Ingestars or glasses of diuers coloured wines set vpon them and delicate fruits which would inuite a Man to eat and drink who otherwise hath no appetite being all open to the sight of passengers as they ride by the high way through their great vnglased windowes At the Table they touch no meate with the hand but with a forke of siluer or other mettall each man being serued with his forke and spoone and glasse to drinke And as they serue small peeces of flesh not whole ioints as with vs so these peeces are cut into small bits to be taken vp with the forke
and they seeth the flesh till it be very tender In Summer time they set a broad earthen vessel full of water vpon the Table wherein little glasses filled with wine doe swimme for coolenesse They vse no spits to roast flesh but commonly stew the same in earthen pipkins and they feed much vpon little fishes and flesh cut and fried with oyle They haue no skill in the Art of Cookery and the meate is serued to the table in white glistering and painted dishes of earth wherof the finest are much esteemed with vs. They are not willingly inuited to eate with other men esteeming basely of those who liue at other mens trenchers calling them vulgarly seroccatori d'ipasti shifters for meales And the reason hereof is that they would not be tied to inuite others againe which in their pride they would doe if they should be inuited to them and this is the chiefe cause that makes them nice to conuerse with strangers Of the Florentines though most courteous yet sparing other Italians ieast saying that when they meete a man about dinner time they aske Vos ' Signoria ha desinato Sir haue you dined and if he answer I they replie as if they would haue inuited him to dinner but if he answere no they reply Andate Signor ch'èotta Goe Sir for it is high time to dine They thinke it best to cherrish and increase friendship by meetings in Market places and Gardens but hold the table and bed vnfit for conuersation where men should come to eate quickly and sleepe soundly Thus not prouoking appetite with variety of meates or eating with others for good fellowship they must needes be more temperate then others intised by these meanes to eate beyond hunger In Cities where many take chambers in one house they eate at a common table but each man hath his owne meat prouided the Hostesse dressing it and seruing each man with his owne napkin glasse forke spoone knife and ingestar or glasse of wine which after meate are seuerally and neately laid vp by the Hostesse And at the table perhaps one man hath a hen another a piece of flesh the third potched egges and each man seuerall meat after his diet but it is no courtesie for one to offer another part of his meate which they rather take to be done in pride as if he thought that he that had a sallet or egges could not haue a hen or flesh if hee listed for want of money To conclude they hold it no honour or disgrace to liue plentifully or sparingly so they liue of their owne and be not in debt for in that case they are esteemed slaues Thus liuing of their owne they giue due honour to superiours so they returne due respect to them otherwise they dispise him that is richer saying in scorne Let him dine twise a day and weare two gounes if he will it is enough for mee to haue conuenient diet and apparrell They haue a very delicate sauce for rosted meates called Sauore made of slices of bread steeped in broath with as many Walnuts and some few leaues of Marioram beaten in a morter and mingled therewith together with the iuyce of Gooseberries or some sharpe liquor put in when it is set on the table In some Cities and Vniuersities especially for the Germans soiourning there and vnwilling to buy their owne meate they haue ordinary tables to be paid by the weeke or moneth at the rate of some eight or ten Crownes the moneth which liuing they call a la dozina that is by dosens or by the great but it is much more commodious for him that hath some experience and skill in the tongue to buy his owne meat since in Camere locande that is hired chambers the Hostesse at a reasonable rate of the chamber is tied to dresse his meate and giue him napkins with like necessaries and there wants not good commoditie to buy al things he wants and to liue cheapely as I haue shewed in the expences of my iournies through Italy The Italian Hosts are notable in fawning and crouching for gaine so as they meete passengers at the Cities gates and emulously inuite them to their houses with promise of all dainties as if they would giue them for nought but when they are once come into the houses all things threaten famine and for that meate they haue if the passenger first agree not for the price they extort so vnreasonably as nothing can bee added to their persidiousnesse and couetousnesse The Germans say these are faire-spoken and most obsequious men in all things till they come to the shot for if any man loue honourable titles capping bending of knees and an humble looke they will obserue him to the full but in the end the shot will be intolerable and he shall pay for their sained courtesie and lowlinesse And this extortion is not to be auoided by the best experienced if they stand not continually vpon their guard with these Fencers especially in both the Marks or Marquisates where they are not Hostes but deuourers of passengers And howsoeuer the Italian Hosts are more excusable in their extortions because the Princes granting licenses to keepe these Innes doe not sheare but indeede deuoure them and he that buyes must needs sell yet the Marchians inhospitall nature is singular and aboue all others For the Florentines oppressed with like or greater exactions yet vse strangers much more curteously I would aduise the vnexperienced passenger that there being in these Italian Innes two ordinarie courses of eating one alconto that is vpon reckoning the other al pasto that is by the meale at a set rate seldome exceeding three Giulij the passengers for cheapnes should take his breakfast vpon reckoning or carry about him some almonds figs dried or Raysons that dining vpon reckoning in case the Hosts set an excessiue price on me it for wo to him that eates without first knowing the price he may seeme content to eate of his owne taking onely bread and wine whereof the prices are knowne and ordinary and so may containe their rapacity within some reasonable bounds But at night because of his bed he shall doe well to sup at the Ordinary and before supper to know his bed and get cleane sheetes yet he must not expect a feather bed which that clime beares not as too hot for the 〈◊〉 but an hard mattresse onely he shal haue cleane sheetes at least if he curiously demand them Howsoeuer against the worst euent he shall doe well to carry linnen breeches and to weare them in the ordinary sheetes for the Italians if they haue no kind of the French pox yet for the most 〈◊〉 are troubled with an itch witnesse the frequent cry in their streetes of Vnguento per 〈◊〉 Ointment for the Itch. I formerly said that a passenger needs haue no care of his Horse by the way for it is the custome to agree for their meate as well as hire with the Vetturines so they call those that let Horses