Chief Citizens who are appointed for that purpose by vertue of an ancient priviledge of the City of whom one half are Gown-men and the other half are Trades-men and they ever have a share in matters of justice with the Rettore and his Court and this jurisdiction is called the Consolaria whence it is that constantly they over-vote the Potesta this is the name of the Chief Magistrate in every City and his Court This is their way of absolving or chastizing the guilty for the faults which daily are committed amongst them but because the Republick took notice that in crimes of a higher nature justice was not duly administred after a debate upon the matter it was resolved to elect an extraordinary Magistrate called Avogadore who upon occasion of hainous faults should go into the City to get secret informations of the whole business which being done he brings it to Venice where sentence is pronounced Thus great mischiefs are restrained and justice is duly executed but this manner of proceeding displeases very much and causes great alterations in the minds of those high spirits who see their priviledges are thereby weakned and derogated from however the Vicentines seeing they have in their hands no strong holds nor none that can be made such think it fit to yield obedience in a thing which is just in it self Now follows the City of Verona which hath six miles in circuit she is one of the fairest within the Venetian Dominions with a very large Ditch Counterscarps and good Bulwarks in the midst of it is the Castle very strong stored with all manner of provision and ammunition the City is strongly seated in the midst of a great open and champion Country and in a place somewhat high 't is backt with some little hills upon the which is another Castle with other strong fortifications which command the Countrey about and through the middle of the City runs the River Agide very great and navigable which falling into the Gulf of Venice the City may easily receive thence supplies of men and provision She is one of the Chief Keyes of Italy towards Germany as it appeared clearly in the wars of Maximilian and Charles the fifth Emperours against the Republick That it hath been a considerable City the Amphitheatre there which is the least defaced of any in Italy doth testifie and Histories tell us that when some of the Family Seala were Lords of it she was the head of a potent State of which Padoa Vicenza Treviso Ceneda Belluno Feltre Brescia Parma and Luca were members Part of its Territory is barren of sixty miles in length but for the unfruitfulness there is never great plenty in the City which as well as Vicenza hath the Consolaria and though those of Verona be not so bad as the Vicentini nor do not so many mischiefs yet upon extraordinary cases the Avogadore is sent to them which the more it appears unjust the more 't is unsufferable for them to see this breach made to their priviledges and they are the more exasperated when they see that Governours act sometimes contrary to their Laws and Customes Within the Jurisdiction of this City are two indifferent good strong holds one is Legnago towards the Mantoan which also doth defend that part of the Padoan the other is Peschigra of a far greater concernment then the former for 't is accounted to be the Key of all other places beyond the River Mincio whence 't is easie to make incursions upon all other places thereabouts if once this were lost all the rest would be in a great danger Those of Verona are accounted to be of a proud nature of a fantastical humour To this purpose I think it not amiss to mention a Proverb usual in those parts when some great mischief hath been committed there which happens very often they use to say Such a mischief hath been committed according to the custome of Padoa Vicenza and Verona whereby is meant the number of murthers without grounds which is according to the temper of the people The truth is a great number of murthers and of like mischiefs is daily committed in those Countries and in the rest of the Republick and as far as I could observe this is chiefly caused by the example of some of the Nobles and by the favour they shew to delinquents in such cases 'T is very strange that upon a Tryal for a mans Estate no body will speak a word for him for in this matter they are just enough but upon life and death for murther or any other wicked act provided it be not against the State there will be friends enough to speak on ones behalf So that in this justice often is corrupted by favour Those of Verona are further of a High and Lordly carriage because they are very rich but spend it very profusely and often they run very deep into debts Then is Brescia a very Noble City sited in a levelled ground yet at the foot of some hills it hath four miles and two hundred paces in circuit Upon the hill is a Castle of very great strength with Ravelins Bullwarks and sure places for succours infallibly to come in with such store of provision and ammunition that according to probability they may hold out for several years in their own defence There are also springs of very good water with a matter of six score pieces of Ordinance Between the City and the Castle are places under-ground and Vaults very deep through the which can come to them all manner of relief Above the City is a ditch of thirteen paces broad with Bullwarks and the Walls have good Ramparts in it are above 62000 Inhabitants who are so throug'd by reason of the great quantity of Wares especially of all manner of Armes that in it there is no place empty and as Verona is the fairest this is the richest and the most Merchant of all others There are not many fine houses for those of Brescia do not much care for the Magnificence of Palaces The Territory is 100 miles in length and 50 in breadth and about 300 in compass and is full of all things This City hath within her Jurisdiction above 240 Towns wherein are accounted to be 350000 Souls Moreover the City enjoys a very noble priviledge viz. That no man of what Nation soever he be though he were a Venetian may purchase any Lands within her Territory except he be a Brescian and herein doth consist the safety and the greatness of that people all the States thereabouts remaining incorporated to the Citizens So that for this as other Concessions which the Republick hath granted them Namely That the Citizens are chosen to be Rectors Potestá or Magistrate of all Towns and Castles within their Jurisdiction Brescia is the happiest of all other Cities within the State of the Republick They have further in their hands two Fortresses of concernment viz. Asola and Orcinvovi which last hath been of late repaired and reduced to
second about differnces arising between Brethren when they divide any State the third is concerning successions ab intestato when a man hath made no Will The fourth is matter of bounds and limits of buildings that one doth not encroach upon anothers ground and the like Further this Court judges of all Causes between nigh and strict relations The Court dell ' Essaminatore examines witnesses ad perpetuam rei memoriam takes cognizance whether sales were well or ill made and intervenes to sales made by the Commissary doth sign the instruments of Donation and keeps a register of all conditional Legacies There are also li Cattaveri who take care to recover those goods which fall to the State from them who dye without making any Will and leave no Successours they revoke and take away penalties laid by other Judges if they think it fit they sell all Incanto by the publick Cryers invitation in the name of the State those Lands which belong to it to those who offer the most at port-sale They are judges of things found at Sea and of treasures discovered under ground They hear differences between those who go in pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Masters of ships who carry them wherefore in this Office is written the name of every Pilgrim bound for that place they also decide matters of prices The Piovego doth judge about contracts of Usury Of Causes about high wayes and takes care that no particular man doth build or otherwise trespass upon the Channels or upon the Streets The Office of the Sindici is to oversee unreasonable and excessive charges made in the acts of Justice they take the place of ordinary Judges when they are chosen by the parties The Sopragastaldi are ordinary Judges of the Execution of Sentences they sell goods by an intermitted Sentence and hear differences about Intermissions Executions and Contradictions The Superiori are to censure and mend the acts of the Supragastaldi in those errours which may happen to arise from their Sentences The Auditori Vecchi are to hear the Appeals of the City Causes of the Courts of St. Mark and of Rialto they either do refer Causes or else bring them into the Quarantia civil Vecchia They judge whether the testimony of Witnesses ought to be received or not and generally the causes of Compromessi or references to Arbitraters are brought into this Office The Auditori Nuovi hear of Causes from abroad by way of Appeal they interpose arbitrary sentences where judges have judged amiss they order suspention of tryals for two months In a word this Office decides all broils made by Rectors of places receiving all Appeals except from two like sentences After these Rectors are gone from their Government the Auditori do receive Appeals one month after within the State called Trevigian and of other Cities and Castles two months after But about Sea-affairs they receive it at all times receiving priviledged persons and things as Orphans Widows the poorest sort of people to whom no time is limited to Appeal and Churches Universities and pious places Their letters of Appeal do usually suspend definitive Execution except within the Trevician State the Sebenico and places of the Levant Within the Frinli Appeals are decided within four months otherwise they are executed by Sureties The Auditori Nuovissimi judge of Causes to the value of fifty Duckets and less for those of more they come before the Auditori Nuovi The Lords di notte in Civile or Civil Causes take cognizance of Leases of Houses matters of cheat see that bonds made about charges at Law be executed and are likewise Executors of Sentences passed without the City The Lords di notte in Criminale in Criminal Causes are appointed to prevent and stop fires within the City to keep goods orders at nigh and hinder all manner of violences even by drawing of blood and wounding if it cannot be done otherwise These being joyned with the Quarantia do order the punishment inflicted upon thieves and against Husbands who have more then one Wife and against Wives who have many Husbands they chastise those who have defloured Maids killed Thieves or bought stollen goods They have authority over the Jewes who kept communication with Christians and also they punish Physitians Apothecaries and Chyrurgeons who do not declare who are those who lay under their hands to be cured of wounds The Quarantia vecchin Civile doth judge of Causes of the Auditori vecchi which themselves have brought into this Court where also is debated about pardons graces and amnesties granted to Malefactors they judge of Baloting between equal numbers or when there is no casting Vote or Ball and they see that in baloting the oath taken be observed They also receive Appeals from Judges within the City and wo be to them who have any thing to do here upon that account for nothing in the world is so tedious as are their proceedings The Quarantia Nuova hears Causes brought in by the Auditori Nuovi once a month gives in a Cause to those about the Kingdome of Candia with some other dispatches and provisions and also receives some Appeals from Judges in the Country One must be past 30 years old to be admitted into these Quarantia's The Collegio of the 25 passes definitive sentences upon Causes of 300 Duckets and less For the space of two months hears the Causes of the City and for two other months those of the Country The Quarantia Criminale doth decide Criminal Causes as well Originatively as brought before them by way of Appeal The Avogadori do bring them in as into their right and proper Council where they are debated Pro and Con the States Council speaking against the guilty whom answers are returned to by the Advocate of the prisoner or by the Straordinarii Likewise the Sindici or the Overseers of Governments at Sea do speak against the guilty as do the Avogadori They also supervise the acts of publick Notaries The Lords All Acque about waters are the Overseers of Lakes Ponds and other fresh waters They take care that the Channels be kept clean The Lords or Signiore all' Biade take care that the City be plentifully supplyed with all manner of provisions So for the Sea places and the like Those All' Sanità for health look to every thing that might bring an infection into the City as Diseases or any filthy and corrupt thing that is brought to be sold Physicians who are willing to practice must take a License in this Office as Mountebanks and others who appear so upon Stages must also do so Herein are entred the names of Cortagiane or prostitute women at present as it is guessed to the number of twenty five thousand or there abouts besides the number of those who are private and of married women which must needs be vast in so populous a City The causes of which I think to be in part the nature of the Climate of the Dyet the temper of the people and in part that
Penance to them Rome her self is as busie at it as the rest a great street of it named the Corso being the ordinary place for Races of Jewes Horses Buffles c. for shews of some new Coaches Charrets people disguised and in vizzards who throw up to the windows which are full of women eggs full of perfumed Waters Sweet-meates Sugar-plums c. The most grave Cardinals and Prelates give themselves a full Carrier some as spectators others as actors it being a thing well known how one of the Cardinals was by the late Pope commanded out of Rome because in a womans cloathes he had been riding on horseback in this Corso But in this Venice goes beyond all other places if one considers the number variety and quality of their sports amongst which are their famous Operas so much talk'd of abroad 't is indeed a great delight to see their comical pieces acted upon their Stages with such a variety of Scenes number of Machines and excellent musick of Voices and instruments which Vocal musick though it seems not to please those who are not used to it by reason of certain Fredonies or quakings yet it is the most learned of any musick in other places Nor only they employ their good Cantarine as they call them that is women in Venice who have good Voices and make profession of singing but also when they hear of any extraordinary ones abroad they are sent for as hath been that rare singing woman of Bologna and are liberally rewarded for their pains In point of Playes that which is the most Comical is that whereat Venetians are pleased best of all and indeed their Bouffoons go beyond any in the world and if the young Nobles who stand by be not pleased at what is acted sometime out of frolick they hiss whistle throw Apples and other things upon the Actors and do such like things which if it were not in Carnaval time were much unbecoming the Venetian Gravity One day as one of the Actors fell upon a learned Discourse about Natural Phylosophy one of the grave Venetian Nobleman had hardly patience to let him go so far as he did but at last he could forbear no longer but took his Bezetta or Cap and threw it at him saying You Fool I am come hither to be made to laugh and not to be instructed and therefore change Discourse and make me laugh At that time there is also great dancing after their way that is leading one unknown to you neither can you tell whether it be a man or a woman but no speaking at all and they are all disguised and in visards at the playing of the Violins they dance from one chamber to another And as the people of Venice are great Gamesters so specially about this time in a disguise they Dice and Card away many thousands of pounds Women also who at other times are kept so close have liberty allowed them to run up and down Incognito which doth favour many a meeting and a rendevouz which at other times they would tremble to think of as indeed it would cause poysonings stabbings and murthers but then a man happens sometimes to Game and Dance with his Wife and yet not know her because they never speak a word Indeed it is a wonder to see what a topsy turvy there is at that time in that City so much they have given up themselves for the time to their pleasures and therefore 't was not without reason that one of the Gran Turk's Servant whom he had sent thither about that time told him at his return That the Venetians were very Grave and Wise but once a year they were used to run all stark mad and again upon a sudden on Ash wednesday they came to themselves from their distractedness yet some are so foolish but this is specially in Rome under pretence of doing penance for their extravagancies as to beat and whip themselves under their Mistresses windows and up and down the streets and fetch blood out of their backs and shoulders Now after this Discourse it will not be amiss to pass from the pleasant to that which is serious and speak very few words of a politick practice of the Republick which at first was introduced by necessity but by experience hath been found beneficial to them 't is the use they make of strangers not only to be their great and inferiour Land Officers but also their common Souldiers as Germans French Switzers and Italians Subjects of other Princes by the first they free themselves from dangers which valiant and ambitious men make their Country run who having an interest at home and the love of an Army in the field may be enticed to attempt against the liberty of their Country which a stranger must not pretend to besides that when wars are ended they are dismissed and the State eased of his charges And by the last they spare the life of their Subjects with the price of that of strangers who do fight offend and defend as they are put upon it and whilst their own Subjects have been safe and grown numerous at home they have made Conquests with the loss of Forrainers blood By a practice contrary to this and by sending too far and too many of their people out of the Land the Spaniards have unpeopled their Country and made it void of inhabitants But from this general and publick practice of the Venetians I will pass to a more particular and private one introduced also for the safety of the State for hereby discoveries are made not only of horrid and secret crimes by what rank soever of persons committed but chiefly of Plots and Conspiracies against the State or the Lawes which to reveale in those parts is very dangerous and if the Accuser was known the accused could take one course or other quickly to make him away therefore in a publick place of the Palace of St. Mark there is for the Office of the Inquisitors a little hole in the wall through the which one can put in any Bill of Accusation without naming the accuser yet with circumstances and some necessary directions whereby further informations may be had This place is under several Keys without which it cannot be opened so that in case one of the Keepers were concerned it could not be concealed from the knowledge of others But this way is subject to many great inconveniencies that every one would not approve were it not for any other consideration but this that hardly any one is safe thereby from troubles and accusations yet that jealousie of State of the body of that Republick is so great that as they think to prevent dangers they are carried to an extraordinary severity and do unjust things As the example of the Noble Foscarini can witness he was accused by two wicked fellows to have had correspondency with a forrain Embassadour whereupon he was hanged and yet a little while after one of the Rogues being condemned to dye for some
most Famous this admirable secret they have been so willing to keep to themselves that under pain of death every workman is forbidden to go out of the State but what will not men dare out of hopes of gain and profit Therefore not long since the French found out a way to perswade several of them to the number of 8 or 10 to go into France where they are setled and succeed well by the encouragement they receive from that King But as this people were married they had not been long away from their Wives when they expressed they would have them or else not stay and such an effectual course was taken to satisfie them in 't that one undertook to carry Letters to their Wives and to bring them into France wch he effected though they narrowly escaped those who pursued them Now Venice is 7 miles in circuit within which compass are a great number of stately Palaces built after the Gothick way besides 6 Scnole grandi adorned especially that of S. Rocco with a number of extraordinary pictures as are great many of their fine Churches Within it are accounted to be above 300000 souls and as it is a delicious place specially for sensual pleasures so 't is an invitation to many strangers to come to it who are thought to be comparing one day with another no less then 30000 and hereby one must conceive the excellent good order setled to bring all manner of necessaries into a place where nothing grows and where if they will have so much as good fresh water except they have it from the rain they must bring it from shore especially from the River Brenta One would think that a place seated in the midst of and compassed about with waters should be very unhealthfull and have an unwholesome air there being much filth and corruption cast into the Channels some of which stink very much specially in summer yet for all this the air is very good by reason of certain winds which usually blow gently there and so do purifie it dissipating the bad vapours Also the Tide which comes in constantly carries away the excrements of the City salt water being no friend to corruption besides the care which is taken now then to cleanse these Channels But a City sited as this is must be very strong indeed this situation is so advantagious that she may disturb others and not be disturbed but with extraordinary and almost unconquerable difficulties for great ships cannot come nigh to it the water not being deep enough to receive them especially when the Tide is gone and yet it is too deep for any Land Forces either Horse or Foot to come night to it These waters do also much contribute to her safety within for certainly 't is very advantagious to the peace and quietness of a State when Subjects are so distant in places as not to have an easie communication one with another Now by the means of the Channels in Venice people cannot without a long time and great difficulties besides the danger of being discovered meet to plot and especially to execute any Design against the State for the Channels are so narrow their Traghetti staires or landing places on both sides of the Channels so few and their bridges so strait as are their streets that there is no coming to a Body Furthermore the people having reason to be content in many things could hardly be brought to entertain any such thoughts for the State hath wisely considered how necessary it is for Rulers to gratifie people in slight things and of no moment though they must oppose them in those of a great and weighty concernment for he who is severe and rigid in every thing who never yields nor dissembles but shews himself wilfull moross and unplacable doth nothing else but dispose provoke and use people to debates and quarrels I must come to Padoa a very Noble and ancient City greater then any of the rest under that Republick for she is above seven miles about very strong with Bulworks and a very deep and broad ditch counterscarp and other necessary fortification for the defence of a place of such an importance seeing the possession of this was the foundation and the ground of the Venetians inlarging their Dominion towards Lombardy by which means afterwards by degrees and under several pretences they got further and further In this City is the most Famous University of all Italy by reason of the eminent learning of its Doctors in all Professions and of the great number of Schollars The Country about it doth abound in all manner of Pulse Oates Gattel Wool Linnen Cloath and Fish but two things cause a great prejudice to it The first is That she is too nigh Venice which with the conveniency of a Navigable River conveys from thence in vaste quantities the things I expressed insomuch that sometimes it hath been necessary to get back from Venice things necessary for the subsistance of that City A Second thing which prejudices that place is because many years ago particular men in Venice having neglected their Sea affairs have given themselves to purchase in the Padovano Trevisano and Polesene Territories in such aquantity that at present the Nobles of Venice have three parts of four in that of Padova to the great impoverishment of the inhabitants who formerly had competent means to live well upon but are now poor there being not above five or six families worth above 2000 Crowns a year and none of the rest hath 1000 And were it not for the great concourse of Schollers especially out-landish they would be in a worse condition On the other side some of the Venetian Nobility make use of their prerogative with so much liberty and authority that the Padoans look upon themselves to be in a miserable condition as indeed this City is the hardest dealt withall of all others within that State of the Republick the reason is that those of Padoa being of a proud and revengefull nature upon the least occasion they fall out commit extravigancies and kill one another after which immediately their goods are confiscated and presently bought by some Venetian Furthermore this people is so given to do mischief that they are almost undone before they can come off the troubles they brought thereby upon themselves After Padoa comes Vicenza which though she be no great City is at least as well peopled as the former there being in it above 30000 persons 't is afair City pleasant plentiful and very rich but the people are dangerous offensive and cruel In all the State of Venice there are no Subjects so bloody and revengeful as the Vicentines are accounted to be whom 't is no prudence to trust The reason of it is because their faults and wickednesses are but lightly punished except it be in very horrid crimes wherof the cause is That in point of criminal justice the Venetian Magistrates in Vicenza may give no sentence without the advice of some of the