REMARKS ON SEVERAL PARTS OF
ITALY,
&c. In the Years 1701, 1702, 1703.
Verum ergo id est, si quis in coelum ascendisset, naturamque mundi et pulchritudinem siderum perspexisset, insuavem illam admirationem ei fore, quae jucundissima fuisset, si aliquem cui narraret habuisset.
Cicer. de Amic.
The SECOND EDITION.
LONDON:
Printed for
J. Tonson,
at
Shakespear's-Head,
over against
Katharine-street
in the
Strand.
MDCCXVIII.
To the Right Honourable
John
Lord
Sommers,
Baron of
Evesham.
My LORD,
T HERE is a Pleasure in owning Obligations which it is an Honour to have received, but should I publish any Favours done me by Your Lordship, I am afraid it would look more like Vanity than Gratitude.
I had a very early Ambition to recommend my self to Your Lordship's Patronage, which yet encreas'd in me as I Travell'd thro' the Countries, of which I here give Your Lordship some Account: For whatever great Impressions an
Englishman
must have of Your Lordship, they who have been conversant Abroad will find them still improved. It cannot but be obvious to them that tho' they see Your Lordship's Admirers every where, they meet with very few of Your Well-wishers at
Paris
or at
Rome.
And I could not but observe when I passed through most of the Protestant Governments in
Europe,
that their Hopes or Fears for the Common Cause rose or fell with Your Lordship's Interest And Authority in
England.
I here present Your Lordship with the Remarks that I made in a Part of these my Travels; wherein, not withstanding the Variety of the Subject, I am very sensible that I offer nothing New to Your Lordship, and can have no other Design in this Address, than to declare that I am,
My LORD,
Your Lordship's most Obliged, and most Obedient Humble Servant, J. ADDISON.
PREFACE.
T HERE is certainly no Place in the World where a Man may Travel with greater Pleasure and Advantage than in
Italy.
One finds something more particular in the Face of the Country, and more astonishing in the Works of Nature, than can be met with in any other Part of
Europe.
It is the great School of Musick and Painting, and contains in it all the noblest Productions of Statuary and Architecture both Ancient and Modern. It abounds with Cabinets of Curiosities, and vast Collections of all Kinds of Antiquities. No other Country in the World has such a Variety of Governments, that are so different in their Constitutions, and so refined in their Politicks. There is scarce any Part of the Nation that is not Famous in History, nor so much as a Mountain or River that has not been the Scene of some extraordinary Action.
As there are few Men that have Talents or Opportunities for examining so copious a Subject, one may observe among those who have written on
Italy,
that different Authors have succeeded best on different sorts of Curiosities. Some have been more particular in their Accounts of Pictures, Statues and Buildings; some have search'd into Libraries, Cabinets of Rarities, and Collections of Medals, as others have been wholly taken up with Inscriptions, Ruins and Antiquities. Among the Authors of our own Country, we are obliged to the Bishop of
Salisbury,
for his masterly and uncommon Observations on the Religion and Governments of
Italy
:
Lassels
may be useful in giving us the Names of such Writers as have treated of the several States through which he pass'd: Mr.
Ray
is to be valu'd for his Observations on the Natural Productions of the Place. Monsieur
Mission
has wrote a more correct Account of
Italy
in general than any before him, as he particularly Excels in the Plan of the Country, which he has given us in true and lively Colours.
There are still several of these Topicks that are far from being exhausted, as there are many new Subjects that a Traveller may find to employ himself upon. For my own part, as I have taken Notice of several Places and Antiquities that no Body else has spoken of, so, I think, I have mentioned but few Things in common with others, that are notei ther set in a new Light, or accompany'd with different Reflections. I have taken care particularly to consider the several Passages of the Ancient Poets, which have any Relation to the Places or Curiosities that I met with: For before I entered on my Voyage I took care to refresh my Memory among the
Classic
Authors, and to make such Collections out of them as I might afterwards have Occasion for. I must confess it was not one of the least Entertainments that I met with in Travelling, to examine these several Descriptions, as it were, upon the Spot, and to compare the Natural Face of the Country with the Landskips that the Poets have given us of it. However, to avoid the Confusion that might arise from a Multitude of Quotations, I have only cited such Verses as have given us some Image of the Place, or that have something else besides the bare Name of it to recommend them.
A LETTER FROM
ITALY,
To the Right Honourable
Charles
Lord
Halifax.
In the Year MDCCI.
Salve magna parens frugum Saturnia tellus,
Magna Virûm! tibi res antiquae laudis et artis
Aggredior, sanctos ausus recludere fontes.
Vir. Geo. 2.
By Mr.
ADDISON.
W HILE you,
my Lord,
the rural Shades admire,
And from
Britannia
's publick Posts retire;
Nor longer, her ungrateful Sons to please,
For their Advantage sacrifice your Ease;
Me into Foreign Realms my Fate conveys,
Through Nations fruitful of Immortal Lays,
Where the soft Season and inviting Clime
Conspire to trouble your Repose with rhime.
For wheresoe'er I turn my ravish'd Eyes,
Gay gilded Scenes and shining Prospects rise,
Poetick Fields encompass me around,
And still I seem to tread on Classic Ground:
For here the Muse so oft her Harp has strung,
That not a Mountain rears its Head unsung;
Renown'd in Verse each shady Thicket grows,
And ev'ry Stream in Heav'nly Numbers flows.
How am I pleas'd to search the Hills and Woods
For rising Springs and celebrated Floods!
To view the
Nar,
tumultuous in his Course,
And trace the smooth
Clitumnus
to his Sourse,
To see the
Mincio
draw his watry Store
Through the long Windings of a fruitful Shore,
And hoary
Albula
's infected Tide
O'er the warm Bed of smoaking Sulphur glide.
Fir'd with a thousand Raptures I survey
Eridanus
through flow'ry Meadows stray,
The King of Floods! that rowling o'er the Plains
The tow'ring
Alps
of half their Moisture drains,
And, proudly swoln with a whole Winter's Snows,
Distributes Wealth and Plenty where he flows.
Sometimes, misguided by the tuneful Throng,
I look for Streams immortaliz'd in Song,
That lost in Silence and Oblivion lye,
(Dumbare their Fountains and their Channels dry)
Yet run for ever by the Muses Skill,
And in the smooth Description murmur still.
Sometimes to gentle
Tiber
I retire,
And the fam'd River's empty Shores admire,
That destitute of Strength derives its Course
From thrifty Urns and an unfruitful Sourse;
Yet, sung so often in Poetick Lays,
With Scorn the
Danube
and the
Nile
surveys.
So high the deathless Muse exalts her Theme!
Such was the
Boin,
a poor inglorious Stream,
That in
Hibernian
Vales obscurely stray'd,
And unobserv'd in wild
Meanders
play'd;
Till by
Your
Lines and
Nassau
's Sword renown'd,
Its rising Billows through the World refound,
Where-e'er the Heroe's Godlike Acts can pierce,
Or where the Fame of an Immortal Verse.
Oh could the Muse my ravish'd Breast inspire
With Warmth like yours, and raise an equal Fire,
Unnumber'd Beauties in my Verse shou'd shine,
And
Virgil
's
Italy
shou'd yield to mine!
See how the Golden Groves around me smile,
That shun the Coast of
Britain
's stormy Isle;
Or when transplanted and preserv'd with Care,
Curse the Cold Clime, and starve in Northern Air.
Here kindly Warmth their mounting Juice ferments
To nobler Tastes, and more exalted Scents.
Ev'n the rough Rocks with tender Myrtle bloom,
And trodden Weeds send out a rich Perfume.
Bear me some God to
Baja
's gentle Seats,
Or cover me in
Umbria
's Green Retreats;
Where Western Gales eternally reside,
And all the Seasons lavish all their Pride,
Blossoms, and Fruits, and Flowers together rise,
And the whole Year in gay Confusion lies.
Immortal Glories in my Mind revive,
And in my Soul a thousand Passions strive,
When
Rome
's exalted Beauties I descry
Magnificent in Piles of Ruin lye:
An Amphitheater's amazing Height
Here fills my Eye with Terror and Delight,
That on its publick Shows unpeopled
Rome,
And held uncrowded Nations in its Womb.
Here Pillars rough with Sculpture pierce the Skies,
And here the proud Triumphal Arches rise,
Where the old
Romans
deathless Acts display'd
Their base degenerate Progeny upbraid.
Whole Rivers here forsake the Fields below,
And wondring at their height through airy Channels flow.
Still to new Scenes my wandring Muse retires,
And the dumb show of breathing
Rocks
admires;
Where the smooth Chissel all its Force has shown,
And soften'd into Flesh the rugged Stone.
In solemn Silence, a Majestick Band,
Heroes, and Gods, and
Roman
Consuls stand.
Stern Tyrants, whom their Cruelties renown,
And Emperors in
Parian
Marble frown:
While the bright Dames, to whom they humbly su'd,
Still show the Charms that their proud Hearts subdu'd.
Fain wou'd I
Raphael
's Godlike Art rehearse,
And show th' Immortal Labours in my Verse.
Where from the mingled strength of Shade and Light
A new Creation rises to my Sight.
Such Heav'nly Figures from his Pencil flow,
So warm with Life his blended Colours glow.
From Theme to Theme with secret Pleasure tost,
Amidst the soft Variety I'm lost:
Here pleasing Airs my ravish'd Soul confound
With circling Notes and Labyrinths of Sound;
Here Domes and Temples rise in distant Views,
And opening Palaces invite my Muse.
How has kind Heav'n adorn'd the happy Land,
And scatter'd Blessings with a wasteful Hand!
But what avail her unexhausted Stores,
Her blooming Mountains and her sunny Shores,
With all the Gifts that Heav'n and Earth impart,
The Smiles of Nature, and the Charms of Art,
While proud Oppression in her Vallies reigns,
And Tyranny usurps her happy Plains?
The poor Inhabitant beholds in vain
The red'ning Orange and the swelling Grain:
Joyless he sees the growing Oils and Wines,
And in the Myrtle's fragrant Shade repines:
Starves in the midst of Nature's Bounty curst,
And in the loaden Vineyard dies for Thirst.
Oh
Liberty,
thou
Goddess
Heav'nly bright,
Profuse of Bliss, and pregnant with Delight,
Eternal Pleasures in thy Presence reign,
And smiling Plenty leads thy wanton Train!
Eas'd of her Load, Subjection grows more light,
And Poverty looks chearful in thy Sight;
Thou mak'st the Gloomy face of Nature Gay,
Giv'st Beauty to the Sun, and Pleasure to the Day.
Thee, Goddess, Thee,
Britannia
's Isle adores;
How has she oft exhausted all her Stores,
How oft in Fields of Death thy Presence sought?
Nor thinks the mighty Prize too dearly bought.
On Foreign Mountains may the Sun refine
The Grape's soft Juice, and mellow it to Wine,
With Citron Groves adorn a distant Soil,
And the fat Olive swell with Floods of Oil:
We envy not the warmer Clime that lies
In ten Degrees of more indulgent Skies,
Nor at the Coarseness of our Heav'n repine,
Tho' o'er our Heads the frozen
Pleiads
shine:
'Tis Liberty that Crowns
Britannia
's Isle,
And makes her barren Rocks and her bleak Mountains smile.
Others with tow'ring Piles may please the Sight,
And in their proud aspiring Domes delight;
A nicer Touch to the stretcht Canvas give,
Or teach their animated
Rocks
to live:
Tis
Britain
's Care to watch o'er
Europe
's Fate,
And hold in Balance each contending State.
To threaten bold presumptuous Kings with War,
And answer her afflicted Neighbour's Pray'r.
The
Dane
and
Swede
rouz'd up by fierce Alarms,
Bless the Wise Conduct of her Pious Arms.
Soon as her Fleets appear, their Terrors cease,
And all the Northern World lies hush'd in Peace.
Th' ambitious
Gaul
beholds with secret Dread
Her Thunder aim'd at his aspiring Head,
And fain her Godlike Sons wou'd disunite
By Foreign Gold, or by Domestick Spite;
But strives in vain to Conquer or Divide,
Whom
Nassau
's Arms defend and Counsels guide.
Fir'd with the Name, which I so oft have found
The distant Climes and different Tongues resound;
I bridle in my strugling Muse with Pain,
That longs to launch into a bolder Strain.
But I've already troubled you too long,
Nor dare attempt a more advent'rous Song.
My humble Verse demands a softer Theme,
A painted Meadow or a purling Stream,
Unfit for Heroes; whom Immortal Lays,
And Lines like
Virgil
's, or like yours, shou'd praise.
MONACO, GENOA, &c.
O N the Twelfth of
December,
1699, I set out from
Marseilles
to
Genoa
in a Tartane, and arrived late at a small
French
Port called
Casses,
where the next Morning we were not a little surprized to see the Mountains about the Town covered with Green Olive-trees, or laid out in beautiful Gardens, which gave us a great Variety of pleasing Prospects, even in the Depth of Winter. The most uncultivated of them produce abundance of sweet Plants, as Wild-Time, Lavender, Rosemary, Balme and Mirtle. We were here shown at a distance the Desarts, which have been rendered so famous by the Penance of
Mary Magdalene,
who, after her Arrival with
Lazarus
and
Joseph
of
Arimathea
at
Marseilles,
is said to have wept away the rest of her Life among these solitary Rocks and Mountains. It is so Romantic a Scene, that it has always probably given occasion to such Chimerical Relations; for it is perhaps of this Place that
Claudian
speaks, in the following Description.
Est locus extremum pandit qua Gallia littus
Oceani praetentus aquis, quà fertur Ulysses
Sanguine libato populum movisse Silentûm,
Illic Umbrarum tenui stridore volantûm
Flebilis auditur questus; simulachra coloni
Pallida defunctasque vident migrare figuras,
&c.
Cl. In. Ruf. L. 1.
A Place there lyes on
Gallia
's utmost Bounds,
Where rising Seas insult the Fontier Grounds.
Ulysses
here the Blood of Victims shed,
And rais'd the pale Assembly of the Dead:
Oft in the Winds is heard a plaintive Sound
Of melancholy Ghosts, that hover round;
The lab'ring Plow-man oft with Horror spies
Thin airy Shapes, that o'er the Furrows rise,
(A dreadful Scene!) and skim before his Eyes.
I know there is nothing more undetermined among the Learned than the Voyage of
Vlysses
; some confining it to the Mediterranean, others extending it to the great Ocean, and others ascribing it to a World of the Poet's own making; tho' his Conversations with the Dead are generally supposed to have been in the
Narbon Gaul.
Incultos adiit Laestrigonas Antiphatenque,
&c.
Atque haec seu nostras intersunt cognita terras,
Fabula sive novum dedit his Erroribus Orbem.
Tib. L. 4. El. 1.
Uncertain whether, by the Winds convey'd,
On real Seas to real Shores he stray'd;
Or, by the Fable driv'n from Coast to Coast,
In new Imaginary Worlds was lost.
The next Day we again set Sail, and made the best of our way 'till we were forced, by contrary Winds, into St.
Remo,
a very pretty Town in the
Genoese
Dominions. The Front to the Sea is not large, but there are a great many Houses behind it, built up the Side of the Mountain, to avoid the Winds and Vapours that come from Sea. We here saw several Persons, that in the midst of
December
had nothing over their Shoulders but their Shirts, without complaining of the Cold. It is certainly very lucky for the poorer sort, to be born in a Place that is free from the greatest Inconvenience, to which those of our Northern Nations are subject; and indeed without this natural Benefit of their Climates, the extream Misery and Poverty that are in most of the
Italian
Governments would be insupportable. There are at St.
Remo
many Plantations of Palm-trees, that do not grow in other Parts of
Italy.
We failed from hence directly for
Genoa,
and had a fair Wind that carried us into the middle of the Gulf, which is very remarkable for Tempests and Scarcity of Fish. It is probable one may be the Cause of the other, whether it be that the Fisher-men cannot employ their Art with so much Success in so troubled a Sea, or that the Fish do not care for inhabiting such stormy Waters.
—Atrum
Defendens pisces hyemat mare—
Hor. Sa. 2. li. 2.
While black with Storms the ruffled Ocean rolls,
And from the Fisher's Art defends her Finny Sholes.
We were forced to lye in it Two Days, and our Captain thought his Ship in so great Danger, that he fell upon his Knees and confessed himself to a Capuchin who was on Board with us. But at last, taking the Advantage of a Sidewind, we were driven back in a few Hours time as far as
Monaco. Lucan
has given us a Description of the Harbour that we found so very welcome to us, after the great Danger we had escaped.
Quaque sub Herculeo Sacratus nomine portus
Urget rupe cavâ pelagus: non Corus in illum
Jus habet aut Zephyrus: Solus sua littora turbat
Circius, & tutâ prohibet statione Monaeci.
Lib. 1.
The winding Rocks a spacious Harbour frame,
That from the great
Alcides
takes it Name:
Fenc'd to the West, and to the North it lyes;
But when the Winds in Southern Quarters rise,
Ships, from their Anchors torn, become their sport,
And sudden Tempests rage within the Port.
On the Promontory, where the Town of
Monaco
now stands, was formerly the Temple of
Hercules Monaecus,
which still gives the Name to this small Principality.
Aggeribus socer Alpinis atque arce Monaeci
Descendens.—
Virg. Aen. 6.
There are but Three Towns in the Dominions of the Prince of
Monaco.
The chief of them is situate on a Rock which runs out into the Sea, and is well fortified by Nature. It was formerly under the Protection of the
Spaniard,
but not many Years since drove out the
Spanish
Garrison, and received a
French
one, which consists at present of Five Hundred Men, paid and officer'd by the
French
King. The Officer who showed me the Palace told me, with a great deal of Gravity, that his Master and the King of
France,
amidst all the Confusions of
Europe,
had ever been good Friends and Allies. The Palace has handsome Apartments, that are many of them hung with Pictures of the reigning Beauties in the Court of
France.
But the best of the Furniture was at
Rome,
where the Prince of
Monaco
resided at that time Ambassador. We here took a little Boat to creep along the Sea-shore as far as
Genoa
; but at
Savona,
finding the Sea too rough, we were forced to make the best of our way by Land, over very rugged Mountains and Precipices: For this Road is much more difficult than that over Mount
Cennis.
The
Genoese
are esteemed extremely Cunning, Industrious, and inur'd to Hardship above the rest of the
Italians
; which was likewise the Character of the old
Ligurians.
And indeed it is no wonder, while the Barrenness of their Country continues, that the Manners of the Inhabitants do not change: Since there is nothing makes Men sharper, and sets their Hands and Wits more at work than Want. The
Italian
Proverb says of the
Genoese,
that they have a Sea without Fish, Land without Trees, and Men without Faith. The Character the
Latin
Poets have given of them is not much different.
Assuetumque malo Ligurem
Virg. G. 2.
The hard
Ligurians,
a laborious kind.
—Pernix Ligur.
Sil. It. L. 8.
Fallaces Ligures.
Aus. Eid. 12.
Apenninicolae bellator filius Auni
Haud Ligurum extremus, dum fallere fata finebant.
Aen. 11.
Yet, like a true
Ligurian,
born to cheat,
(At least while Fortune favour'd his Deceit.)
Vane Ligur, frustraque animis elate superbis,
Nequicquam patrias tentasti Lubricus artes.
Id.
Vain Fool and Coward, cries the lofty Maid,
Caught in the Train which thou thy self hast laid.
On others practise thy
Ligurian
Arts;
Thin Stratagems, and Tricks of little Hearts
Are lost on me; nor shalt thou safe retire,
With vaunting Lies to thy fallacious Sire.
Dryden.
There are a great many beautiful Palaces standing along the Sea-shore on both sides of
Genoa,
which make the Town appear much longer than it is, to those that fail by it. The City it self makes the noblest Show of any in the World. The Houses are most of them painted on the Outside; so that they look extreamly gay and lively, besides that they are esteemed the highest in
Europe,
and stand very thick together. The New-Street is a double Range of Palaces from one end to the other, built with an excellent Fancy, and fit for the greatest Princes to inhabit. I cannot however be reconciled to their manner of Painting several of the
Genoese
Houses. Figures, Perspectives, or Pieces of History are certainly very ornamental, as they are drawn on many of the Walls, that would otherwise look too naked and uniform without them: But instead of these, one often sees the Front of a Palace covered with painted Pillars of different Orders. If these were so many true Columns of Marble, set in their proper Architecture, they would certainly very much adorn the Places where they stand, but as they are now, they only shew us that there is something wanting, and that the Palace, which without these Counterfeit Pillars would be beautiful in its kind, might have been more perfect by the Addition of such as are real. The Front of the
Villa Imperiale,
at a Mile distance from
Genoa,
without any thing of this Paint upon it, consists of a
Doric
and
Corinthian
Row of Pillars, and is much the handsomest of any I there saw. The Duke of
Doria
's Palace has the best Outside of any in
Genoa,
as that of
Durazzo
is the best furnished within. There is one Room in the first, that is hung with Tapestry, in which are wrought the Figures of the great Persons, that the Family has produced; as perhaps there is no House in
Europe,
that can show a longer Line of Heroes, that have still acted for the Good of their Country.
Andrew Doria
has a Statue erected to him at the Entrance of the Doge's Palace, with the glorious Title of Deliverer of the Common-wealth; and one of his Family another, that calls him its Preserver. In the Doge's Palace, are the Rooms, where the great and little Council with the Two Colleges hold their Assemblies; but as the State of
Genoa
is very poor, tho' several of its Members are extreamly rich, so one may observe infinitely more Splendor and Magnificence, in particular Persons Houses, than in those that belong to the Publick. But we find in most of the States of
Europe,
that the People show the greatest Marks of Poverty, where the Governors live in the greatest Magnificence. The Churches are very fine, particularly that of the Annunciation, which looks wonderfully beautiful in the Inside, all but one Corner of it being covered with Statues, Gilding and Paint. A Man would expect, in so very ancient a Town of
Italy,
to find some considerable Antiquities; but all they have to show of this Nature is an old
Rostrum
of a
Roman
Ship, that stands over the Door of their Arsenal. It is not above a Foot long, and perhaps would never have been thought the Beak of a Ship, had not it been found in so probable a Place as the Haven. It is all of Iron, fashioned at the End like a Boar's Head; as I have seen it represented on Medals, and on the
Columna Rostrata
in
Rome.
I saw at
Genoa
Signior
Micconi
's famous Collection of Shells, which, as Father
Buonani
the Jefuite has since told me, is one of the best in
Italy.
I know nothing more remarkable, in the Government of
Genoa,
than the Bank of St.
George,
made up of such Branches of the Revenues, as have been set apart, and appropriated to the discharging of several Sums, that have been borrowed from private Persons, during the Exigencies of the Common-wealth. Whatever Inconveniencies the State has laboured under, they have never entertained a Thought of violating the Publick Credit, or of alienating any Part of these Revenues to other Uses, than to what they have been thus assigned. The Administration of this Bank is for Life, and partly in the Hands of the chief Citizens, which gives them a great Authority in the State, and a powerful Influence over the common people. This Bank is generally thought the greatest Load on the
Genoese,
and the Managers of it have been represented as a second kind of Senate, that break the Uniformity of Government, and destroy, in some measure, the Fundamental Constitution of the State. It is however very certain, that the People reap no small Advantages from it, as it distributes the Power among more particular Members of the Republick, and gives the Commons a Figure: So that it is no small Check upon the Aristocracy, and may be one Reason, why the
Genoese
Senate carries it with greater Moderation towards their Subjects, than the
Venetian.
It would have been well for the Republick of
Genoa,
if she had followed the Example of her Sister of
Venice,
in not permitting her Nobles to make any Purchase of Lands or Houses in the Dominions of a Foreign Prince. For at present the Greatest, among the
Genoese,
are in part Subjects to the Monarchy of
Spain,
by reason of their Estates that lye in the Kingdom of
Naples.
The
Spaniards
Tax them very high upon occasion, and are so sensible of the Advantage this gives them over the Republick, that they will not suffer a
Neapolitan
to buy the Lands of a
Genoese,
who must find a Purchaser among his own Countrymen, if he has a Mind to sell. For this Reason, as well as on Account of the great Sums of Mony which the
Spaniard
owes the
Genoese,
they are under a Necessity, at present, of being in the Interest of the
French,
and would probably continue so, tho' all the other States of
Italy
entered into a League against them.
Genoa
is not yet secure from a Bombardment, tho' it is not so exposed as formerly; for, since the Insult of the
French,
they have built a Mole, with some little Ports, and have provided themselves with long Guns and Mortars. It is easie for those that are strong at Sea to bring them to what Terms they pleafe; for having but very little Arable Land, they are forced to fetch all their Corn from
Naples, Sicily,
and other Foreign Countries; except what comes to them from
Lombardy,
which probably goes another way, whilst it furnishes Two great Armies with Provisions. Their Fleet, that formerly gained so many Victories over the
Saracens, Pisans, Venetians, Turks
and
Spaniards,
that made them Masters of
Crete,
Sardinia, Majorca, Minorca, Negrepont,
Lesbos, Malta,
that settled them in
Scio,
Smyrna, Achaia, Theodosia,
and several Towns on the Eastern Confines of
Europe,
is now reduced to Six Gallies. When they had made an Addition of but Four new ones, the King of
France
sent his Orders to suppress them, telling the Republick at the same time, that he knew very well how many they had Occasion for. This little Fleet serves only to fetch them Wine and Corn, and to give their Ladies an Airing in the Summer-season. The Republick of
Genoa
has a Crown and Scepter for its Doge, by reason of their Conquest of
Corsica,
where there was formerly a
Saracen
King. This indeed gives their Ambassadors a more honourable Reception at some Courts, but, at the same time, may teach their People to have a mean Notion of their own Form of Government, and is a tacit Acknowledgment that Monarchy is the more honourable. The old
Romans,
on the contrary, made use of a very barbarous kind of Politicks to inspire their People with a Contempt of Kings, whom they treated with Infamy, and dragged at the Wheels of their Triumphal Chariots.
PAVIA, MILAN, &c.
FROM
Genoa
we took Chaise for
Milan,
and by the way stopped at
Pavia,
that was once the Metropolis of a Kingdom, but is at present a poor Town. We here saw the Convent of
Austin
Monks, who about Three Years ago pretended to have found out the Body of the Saint, that gives the Name to their Order. King
Luitprand,
whose Ashes are in the same Church, brought hither the Corps, and was very industrious to conceal it, lest it might be abused by the barbarous Nations, which at that time ravaged
Italy.
One would therefore rather wonder that it has not been found out much earlier, than that it is discovered at last. The Fathers however do not yet find their Account in the Discovery they have made; for there are Canons Regular, who have half the same Church in their Hands, that will by no means allow it to be the Body of the Saint, nor is it yet recognised by the Pope. The Monks say for themselves, that the very Name was written on the Urn where the Ashes lay, and that in an old Record of the Convent, they are said to have been interred between the very Wall and the Altar where they were taken up. They have already too, as the Monks told us, begun to justifie themselves by Miracles. At the Corner of one of the Cloisters of this Convent are bury'd the Duke of
Suffolk,
and the Duke of
Lorrain,
who were both killed in the famous Battel of
Pavia.
Their Monument was erected to them by one
Charles Parker,
an Ecclesiastic, as I learned from the Inscription, which I cannot omit Transcribing, since I have not seen it Printed.
Capto a Milite Caesare
lorum Rege in agro Pa
Feb. inter alios proce
in proeli occisi sunt, occubuei
llustrissimi pri
cipes, F
nciscus
Lotharingiae,
de la Poo
Anglus
Rege Tyranno Hen. V
egno. Quorum corpora hoc in coenobio & ambitu per Annos 57. fine honore tumulata sunt. Tandem Carolus Parker a Morley, Richardi proximus consanguineus, Regno Angliae a Reginâ Elisabethâ ob Catholicam fidem ejectus, beneficentiâ tamen Philippi Regis Cath. Hispaniarum Monarchae Invictissimi in Statu Mediolanensi sustentatus, hoc qualecunque monumentum, pro rerum suarum tenuitate, charissimo propinquo et Illustrissimis principibus posuit, 5. Sept. 1582. et post suum exilium 23. majora et honorificentiora commendans Lotharingicis. Viator precare Quietem.
This pretended Duke of
Suffolk
was Sir
Richard de la Poole,
Brother to the Earl of
Suffolk,
who was put to Death by
Henry
the Eighth. In his Banishment he took upon him the Title of Duke of
Suffolk,
which had been sunk in the Family ever since the Attainder of the Great Duke of
Suffolk
under the Reign of
Henry
the Sixth. He fought very bravely in the Battle of
Pavia,
and was magnificently Interr'd by the Duke of
Bourbon,
who, tho' an Enemy, assisted at his Funeral in Mourning.
Parker
himself is bury'd in the same Place with the following Inscription.
D. O. M.
Carolo Parchero a Morley Anglo ex Illustrissimâ clarissimâ stirpe. Qui Episcopus Des, ob fidem Catholicam actus in Exilium An. XXXI. peregrinatus ab Invictiss. Phil. Rege Hispan. honestissimis pietatis & constantiae praemiis ornatus moritur Anno a partu Virginis, M. D. C. XI. Men. Septembris.
In
Pavia
is an University of Seven Colleges, one of them called the College of
Borromee,
very large, and nearly built. There is likewise a Statue in Brass, of
Marcus Antoninus
on Horseback, which the People of the Place call
Charles
the Fifth, and some learned Men
Constantine
the Great.
Pavia
is the
Ticinum
of the Ancients, which took its Name from the River
Ticinus
which runs by it, and is now call'd the
Tesin.
This River falls into the
Po,
and is excessively rapid. The Bishop of
Salisbury
says, that he ran down with the Stream Thirty Miles in an Hour, by the help of but one Rower. I do not know therefore why
Silius Italicus
has represented it as so very gentle and still a River, in the beautiful Description he has given us of it.
Caeruleas Ticinus aquas et Stagna vadoso
Perspicuus servat, turbari nescia, fundo,
Ac nitidum viridi lentè trabit amne liquorem;
Vix credas labi, ripis tam mitis opacis
Argutos inter (volucrum certamina) cantus
Somniferam ducit lucenti gurgite lympham.
L. 4.
Smooth and untroubled the
Ticinus
flows,
And through the Chrystal Stream the shining Bottom shows:
Scarce can the Sight discover if it moves;
So wond'rous slow amidst the shady Groves,
And tuneful Birds that warble on its Sides,
Within its gloomy Banks the Limpid Liquor glides.
A Poet of another Nation would not have dwelt so long upon the Clearness and Transparency of the Stream, but in
Italy
one seldom sees a River that is extreamly bright and limpid, most of them falling down from the Mountains, that make their Waters very troubled and muddy, whereas the
Tesin
is only an Outlet of that vast Lake, which the
Italians
now call the
Lago Maggiore.
I saw between
Pavia
and
Milan
the Convent of
Carthusians,
which is very spacious and beautiful. Their Church is extreamly fine, and curiously adorned, but of a
Gothic
Structure.
I could not stay long in
Milan
without going to see the Great Church that I had heard so much of, but was never more deceived in my Expectation than at my first entering: For the Front, which was all I had seen of the Outside, is not half finished, and the Inside is so smutted with Dust, and the Smoak of Lamps, that neither the Marble, nor the Silver, nor Brass-Works show themselves to an Advantage. This vast
Gothic
Pile of Building is all of Marble, except the Roof, which would have been of the same Matter with the rest, had not its Weight rendered it improper for that part of the Building. But for the Reason I have just now mentioned, the Outside of the Church looks much whiter and fresher than the Inside; for where the Marble is so often washed with Rains, it preserves it self more beautiful and unsullyed, than in those Parts that are not at all exposed to the Weather. That Side of the Church indeed, which faces the Tramontane Wind, is much more unsightly than the rest, by reason of the Dust and Smoak that are driven against it. This Profusion of Marble, tho' astonishing to Strangers, is not very wonderful in a Country that has so many Veins of it within its Bowels. But tho' the Stones are cheap, the working of them is very expensive. It is generally said there are Eleven Thousand Statues about the Church, but they reckon into the Account every particular Figure in the History-pieces, and several little Images which make up the Equipage of those that are larger. There are indeed a great Multitude of such as are bigger than the Life: I reckoned above Two Hundred and Fifty on the Outside of the Church, tho' I only told Three Sides of it; and these are not half so thick set as they intend them. The Statues are all of Marble, and generally well cut; but the most valuable one they have is a St.
Bartholomew,
new-flead, with his Skin hanging over his Shoulders: It is esteemed worth its weight in Gold: They have inscribed this Verse on the Pedestal, to show the Value they have for the Workman.
Non me Praxiteles sed Marcus finxit Agrati.
Lest at the Sculptor doubtfully you guess,
'Tis
Marc Agrati,
not
Praxiteles.
There is, just before the Entrance of the Quire, a little Subterraneous Chappel, Dedicated to St.
Charles Borromee,
where I saw his Body, in Episcopal Robes, lying upon the Altar in a Shrine of Rock-Crystal. His Chappel is adorned with abundance of Silver Work: He was but Two and Twenty Years old when he was chosen Arch-Bishop of
Milan,
and Forty Six at his Death; but made so good use of so short a time, by his Works of Charity and Munificence, that his Countrymen bless his Memory, which is still fresh among them. He was Cannonised about a Hundred Years ago: and indeed if this Honour were due to any Man, I think such Publick-spirited Virtues may lay a juster Claim to it, than a sour Retreat from Mankind, a fiery Zeal against
Heterodoxies,
a Set of Chimerical Visions, or of Whimsical Penances, which are generally the Qualifications of
Roman
Saints. Miracles indeed are required of all who aspire to this Dignity, because they say an Hypocrite may imitate a Saint in all other Particulars, and these they attribute in great Number, to him I am speaking of. His Merit, and the Importunity of his Countrymen, procured his Canonization before the ordinary time; for it is the Policy of the
Roman
Church not to allow this Honour, ordinarily, 'till Fifty Years after the Death of the Person, who is a Candidate for it; in which time it may be supposed that all his Contemporaries will be worn out, who could contradict a pretended Miracle, or remember any Infirmity of the Saint. One would wonder that
Roman
Catholicks, who are for this kind of Worship, do not generally address themselves to the Holy Apostles, who have a more unquestionable Right to the Title of Saints than those of a Modern Date; but these are at present quite out of Fashion in
Italy,
where there is scarce a great Town, which does not pay its Devotions, in a more particular manner, to some one of their own making. This renders it very suspicious, that the Interests of Particular Families, Religious Orders, Convents or Churches, have too great a Sway in their Canonizations. When I was at
Milan
I saw a Book newly published, that was Dedicated to the present Head of the
Borromean
Family, and entitled,
A Discourse on the Humility of
Jesus Christ,
and of St.
Charles Borromee.
The Great Church of
Milan
has Two Noble Pulpits of Brass, each of them running round a large Pillar, like a Gallery, and supported by huge Figures of the same Metal. The History of our Saviour, or rather of the Blessed Virgin, for it begins with her Birth, and ends with her Coronation in Heaven, that of our Saviour coming in by way of
Episode
) is finely cut in Marble by
Andrew Biffy.
This Church is very Rich in Relicks, which run up as high as
Daniel, Jonas
and
Abraham.
Among the rest they show a Fragment of our Countryman
Becket,
as indeed there are very few Treasuries of Relicks in
Italy
that have not a Tooth or a Bone of this Saint. It would be endless to count up the Riches of Silver, Gold, and Precious Stones, that are amass'd together in this and several other Churches of
Milan.
I was told, that in
Milan
there are Sixty Convents of Women, Eighty of Men, and Two Hundred Churches. At the
Celestines
is a Picture in Fresco of the Marriage of
Cana,
very much esteem'd; but the Painter, whether designedly or not, has put Six Fingers to the Hand of one of the Figures: They show the Gates of a Church that St.
Ambrose
shut against the Emperor
Theodosius,
as thinking him unfit to assist at Divine Service, 'till he had done some extraordinary Penance for his barbarous Massacring the Inhabitants of
Thessalonica.
That Emperor was however so far from being displeas'd with the Behaviour of the Saint, that at his Death he committed to him the Education of his Children. Several have pick'd Splinters of Wood out of the Gates for Relicks. There is a little Chappel lately re-edify'd, where the same Saint baptis'd St.
Austin.
An Inscription upon the Wall of it says, that it was in this Chappel, and on this Occasion, that he first sung his
Te Deum,
and that his great Convert answered him Verse by Verse. In one of the Churches I saw a Pulpit and Confessional, very finely Inlaid with
Lapis-Lazuli,
and several kinds of Marble, by a Father of the Convent. It is very lucky for a Religious, who has so much Time on his Hands, to be able to amuse himself with Works of this Nature; and one often finds particular Members of Convents, who have excellent Mechanical Genius's, and divert themselves, at leisure Hours, with Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Gardening, and several kinds of Handy-Crafts. Since I have mention'd Confessionals, I shall set down here some Inscriptions that I have seen over them in
Roman
-Catholick Countries, which are all Texts of Scripture, and regard either the Penitent or the Father.
Abi, Ostende Te ad Sacerdotem—Ne taceat pupilla oculi Tui—Ibo ad patrem meum & dicam, Pater peccavi—Soluta erunt in Coelis—Redi Anima mea in Requiem tuam—Vade, & ne deinceps pecca— Qui vos audit, me audit—Venite ad me omnes qui fatigati estis & onerati—Corripiet me justus in misericordiâ—Vide si via Iniquitatis in me est, & deduc me in viâ aeternâ—Ut audiret gemitus compeditorum.
I saw the
Ambrosian
Library, where, to show the
Italian
Genius, they have spent more Money on Pictures than on Books. Among the Heads of several learned Men I met with no
Englishman,
except Bishop
Fisher,
whom
Henry
the Eighth put to Death for not owning his Supremacy. Books are indeed the least part of the Furniture that one ordinarily goes to see in an
Italian
Library, which they generally set off with Pictures, Statues, and other Ornaments, where they can afford them, after the Example of the old
Greeks
and
Romans.
—Plena omnia gypso
Chrysippi invenias: nam perfectissimus horum
Si quis Aristotelem similem vel Pittacon emit,
Et jubet archetypos pluteum servare Cleanthas.
Juv. S. 2.
Chrysippus'
Statue decks thy Library.
Who makes his Study finest, is most read;
The Dolt that with an
Aristotle
's Head,
Carv'd to the Life, has once adorn'd his Shelf,
Straight sets up for a Stagyrite himself.
Tate.
In an Apartment behind the Library are several Rarities often described by Travellers, as
Brugeal
's Elements, a Head of
Titian
by his own Hand, a Manuscript in
Latin
of
Josephus,
which the Bishop of
Salisbury
says was written about the Age of
Theodosius,
and another of
Leonardus Vincius,
which King
James
the First could not procure, tho' he proffered for it Three Thousand
Spanish
Pistols. It consists of Designings in Mechanism and Engineering: I was shown in it a Sketch of Bombs and Mortars, as they are now used. Canon
Settala
's Cabinet is always shown to a Stranger among the Curiosities of
Milan,
which I shall not be particular upon, the Printed Account of it being common enough. Among its Natural Curiosities I took particular notice of a Piece of Chrystal, that enclos'd a couple of Drops, which look'd like Water when they were shaken, tho' perhaps they are nothing but Bubbles of Air. It is such a Rarity as this that I saw at
Vendome
in
France,
which they there pretend is a Tear that our Saviour shed over
Lazarus,
and was gather'd up by an Angel, who put it in a little Chrystal Vial, and made a Present of it to
Mary Magdalene.
The Famous
Pere Mabillon
is now engag'd in the Vindication of this Tear, which a learned Ecclesiastic, in the Neighbourhood of
Vendome,
would have suppressed, as a false and ridiculous Relick, in a Book that he has Dedicated to his Diocesan the Bishop of
Blois.
It is in the Possession of a
Benedictin
Convent, which raises a considerable Revenue out of the Devotion that is paid to it, and has now retained the most learned Father of their Order to write in its Defence.
It was such a Curiosity as this I have mention'd, that
Claudian
has celebrated in about half a Score Epigrams.
Solibus indomitum glacies Alpina rigorem
Sumebat, nimio jam preciosa gelu.
Nec potuit toto mentiri corpore gemmam,
Sed medio mansit proditor orbe latex:
Auctus honor; liquidi crescunt miracula saxi,
Et conservatae plus meruistis aquae.
Deep in the Snowy
Alpes
a Lump of Ice
By Frosts was harden'd to a mighty Price;
Proof to the Sun, it now securely lyes,
And the warm Dog-star's hottest Rage defies:
Yet still unripen'd in the Dewy Mines,
Within the Ball a trembling Water shines,
That through the Chrystal darts its spurious Rays,
And the proud Stone's Original betrays:
But common Drops, when thus with Chrystal mixt,
Are valu'd more, than if in Rubies fixt.
As I walk'd thro' one of the Streets of
Milan,
I was surpriz'd to read the following Inscription, concerning a Barber that had Conspir'd with the Commissary of Health and others to Poison his Fellow-Citizens. There is a void Space where his House stood, and in the midst of it a Pillar, superscrib'd
Colonna Infame.
The Story is told in handsom
Latin,
which I shall set down, as having never seen it transcrib'd.
Hic, ubi haec Area patens est,
Surgebat olim Tonstrina
Jo' Jacobi Morae:
Qui factā cum Guliclmo Platea publ. Sanit. Commissario
Et cum aliis Conspiratione,
Dum pestis atrox saeviret,
Lethiferis unguentis huc & illuc aspersis
Plures ad diram mortem compulit.
Hos igitur ambos, hostes patriae judicatos,
Excelso in Plaustro
Candenti prius vellicatos forcipe
Et dexterâ mulctatos manu
Rotâ infringi
Rotaeque intextos post horas Sex jugulari,
Comburi deinde,
Ac, ne quid tam Scelestorum hominum reliqui sit,
Publicatis bonis
Cineres in flumen projici
Senatus jussit:
Cujus rei memoria aeterna ut sit,
Hanc domum, Sceleris officinam,
Solo aequari,
Ac nunquam in posterum refici,
Et erigi Columnam,
Quae vocatur Infamis,
Idem ordo mandavit.
Procul hinc procul ergo
Boni Cives,
Ne Vos Infelix, Infame solum
Commaculet!
M. D. C. xxx Kal. Augusti. Praeside Pub. Sanitatis M. Antonio Montio Senatore R. Justitiae Cap. Jo. Baptistâ Vicecomit.
The Citadel of
Milan
is thought a strong Fort in
Italy,
and has held out formerly after the Conquest of the rest of the Dutchy. The Governor of it is independent on the Governor of
Milan
; as the
Persians
used to make the Rulers of Provinces and Fortresses of different Conditions and Interests, to prevent Conspiracies.
At Two Miles distance from
Milan
there stands a Building, that would have been a Master-piece in its kind, had the Architect design'd it for an Artificial Echo. We discharg'd a Pistol, and had the Sound return'd upon us above Fifty Six times, tho' the Air was very foggy. The first Repetitions follow one another very thick, but are heard more distinctly in proportion as they decay: There are Two parallel Walls which beat the Sound back on each other, 'till the Undulation is quite worn out, like the several Reverberations of the same Image from two opposite Looking-Glasses. Father
Kircher
has taken notice of this particular Echo, as Father
Bartolin
has done since in his Ingenious Discourse on Sounds. The State of
Milan
is like a vast Garden, surrounded by a Noble Mound-Work of Rocks and Mountains: Indeed if a Man considers the Face of
Italy
in general, one would think that Nature had laid it out into such a Variety of States and Governments as one finds in it. For as the
Alpes
at one End, and the long Range of
Appenines,
that passes thro' the Body of it, branch out on all sides into several different Divisions; they serve as so many natural Boundaries and Fortifications to the little Territories that lye among them. Accordingly we find the whole Country cut into a Multitude of particular Kingdoms and Common-wealths in the oldest Accounts we have of it, 'till the Power of the
Romans,
like a Torrent that overflows its Banks, bore down all before it, and spread it self into the remotest Corners of the Nation. But as this Exorbitant Power became unable to support it self, we find the Government of
Italy
again broken into such a Variety of Sub-Divisions, as naturally suits with its Situation.
In the Court of
Milan,
as in several others of
Italy,
there are many who fall in with the Dress and Carriage of the
French.
One may however observe a kind of Awkwardness in the
Italians,
which easily discovers the Airs they give themselves not to be natural. It is indeed very strange there should be such a Diversity of Manners, where there is so small a difference in the Air and Climate. The
French
are always Open, Familiar and Talkative: The
Italians,
on the contrary, are Stiff, Ceremonious and Reserved. In
France
every one aims at a Gaiety and Sprightliness of Behaviour, and thinks it an Accomplishment to be brisk and lively: The
Italians,
notwithstanding their natural Fieriness of Temper, affect always to appear Sober and Sedate; insomuch that one sometimes meets Young Men walking the Streets with Spectacles on their Noses, that they may be thought to have impaired their Sight by much Study, and seem more Grave and Judicious than their Neighbours. This Difference of Manners proceeds chiefly from Difference of Education: In
France
it is usual to bring their Children into Company, and to cherish in them, from their Infancy, a kind of Forwardness and Assurance: Besides, that the
French
apply themselves more universally to their Exercises than any other Nation in the World, so that one seldom sees a Young Gentleman in
France
that does not Fence, Dance, and Ride in some tolerable Perfection. These Agitations of the Body do not only give them a free and easie Carriage, but have a kind of Mechanical Operation on the Mind, by keeping the Animal Spirits always awake and in Motion. But what contributes most to this light airy Humour of the
French,
is the Free Conversation that is allowed them with their Women, which does not only communicate to them a certain Vivacity of Temper, but makes them endeavour after such a Behaviour as is most taking with the Sex.
The
Italians,
on the contrary, who are excluded from making their Court this way, are for recommending themselves to those they Converse with by their Gravity and Wisdom. In
Spain
therefore, where there are fewer Liberties of this Nature allowed, there is something still more serious and composed in the manner of the Inhabitants. But as Mirth is more apt to make Proselytes than Melancholy, it is observed that the
Italians
have many of them for these late Years given very far into the Modes and Freedoms of the
French
; which prevail more or less in the Courts of
Italy,
as they lye at a smaller or greater Distance from
France.
It may be here worth while to consider how it comes to pass, that the Common People of
Italy
have in general so very great an Aversion to the
French,
which every Traveller cannot but be sensible of, that has passed thro' the Country. The most obvious Reason is certainly the great Difference that there is in the Humours and Manners of the Two Nations, which always works more in the meaner sort, who are not able to vanquish the Prejudices of Education, than with the Nobility. Besides, that the
French
Humour, in regard of the Liberties they take in Female Conversations, and their great Ambition to Excel in all Companies, is in a more particular manner very shocking to the
Italians,
who are naturally Jealous, and value themselves upon their great Wisdom. At the same time the common People of
Italy,
who run more into News and Politicks than those of other Countries, have all of them something to exasperate them against the King of
France.
The
Savoyards,
notwithstanding the present Inclinations of their Court, cannot forbear resenting the infinite Mischiefs he did them in the last War. The
Milanese
and
Neapolitans
remember the many Insults he has offer'd to the House of
Austria,
and particularly to their Deceased King, for whom they still retain a natural kind of Honour and Affection. The
Genoese
cannot forget his Treatment of their Doge, and his Bombarding their City. The
Venetians
will tell you of his Leagues with the
Turks
; and the
Romans,
of his Threats to Pope
Innocent
the Eleventh, whose Memory they adore. It is true, that Interest of State, and Change of Circumstances, may have sweetened these Reflections to the Politer sort, but Impressions are not so easily worn out of the Minds of the Vulgar. That however, which I take to be the Principal Motive among most of the
Italians,
for their favouring the
Germans
above the
French,
is this, that they are entirely persuaded it is for the Interest of
Italy,
to have
Milan
and
Naples
rather in the Hands of the first than of the other. One may generally observe, that the Body of a People has juster Views for the Publick Good, and pursues them with greater Uprightness than the Nobility and Gentry, who have so many private Expectations and particular Interests, which hang like a false Biass upon their Judgments, and may possibly dispose them to sacrifice the Good of their Country to the Advancement of their own Fortunes; whereas the Gross of the People can have no other Prospect in Changes and Revolutions than of Publick Blessings, that are to diffuse themselves thro' the whole State in general.
To return to
Milan
: I shall here set down the Description
Ausonius
has given of it, among the rest of his great Cities.
Et Mediolani mira omnia, copia rerum:
Innumerae cultaeque domus, faecunda virorum
Ingenia, & mores laeti. Tum duplice muro
Amplificata loci species, populique voluptas
Circus, & inclusi moles cuneata Theatri:
Templa, Palatinaeque arces, opulensque Moneta,
Et regio Herculei celebris ab honore lavacri,
Cunctaque marmoreis ornata peristyla Signis,
Omnia quae magnis operum velut aemula formis
Excellunt; nec juncta premit vicinia Romae.
Milan
with Plenty and with Wealth o'er-flows,
And num'rous Streets and cleanly Dwellings shows;
The People, bless'd with Nature's happy Force,
Are Eloquent and Chearful in Discourse;
A
Circus
and a Theatre invites
Th' unruly Mob to Races and to Fights;
Moneta
consecrated Buildings grace,
And the whole Town redoubled Walls embrace:
Here spacious Baths and Palaces are seen,
And intermingled Temples rise between;
Here circling
Colonnades
the Ground enclose,
And here the Marble Statues breathe in Rows:
Profusely grac'd the happy Town appears,
Nor
Rome
it self, her beauteous Neighbour, fears.
BRESCIA, VERONA, PADUA.
F ROM
Milan
we travell'd thro' a very pleasant Country, to
Brescia,
and by the way cross'd the River
Adda,
that falls into the
Lago di Como,
which
Virgil
calls the Lake
Larius,
and running out at the other End loses it self at last in the
Po,
which is the great Receptacle of all the Rivers of this Country. The Town and Province of
Brescia
have freer Access to the Senate of
Venice,
and a quicker Redress of Injuries, than any other Part of their Dominions. They have always a mild and prudent Governor, and live much more happily than their Fellow-Subjects: For as they were once a Part of the
Milanese,
and are now on their Frontiers, the
Venetians
dare not exasperate them, by the Loads they lay on other Provinces, for fear of a Revolt; and are forc'd to Treat them with much more Indulgence than the
Spaniards
do their Neighbours, that they may have no Temptation to it.
Brescia
is famous for its Iron-Works. A small Day's Journey more brought us to
Verona.
We saw the Lake
Benacus
in our way, which the
Italians
now call
Lago di Garda
: It was so rough with Tempests when we pass'd by it, that it brought into my Mind
Virgil
's Noble Description of it.
Adde lacus tantos, te Lari maxime, teque
Fluctibus & fremitu assurgens, Benace, marino.
Here vex'd by Winter Storms
Benacus
raves,
Confus'd with working Sands and rolling Waves;
Rough and tumultuous like a Sea it lyes,
So loud the Tempest roars, so high the Billows rise.
This Lake perfectly resembles a Sea, when it is work'd up by Storms. It is Thirty Five Miles in length, and Twelve in breadth. At the lower end of it we cross'd the
Mincio.
—Tardis ingens ubi flexibus errat
Mincius, & tenerâ praetexit arundine ripas.
G. 3.
Where the slow
Mincius
through the Valley strays:
Where cooling Streams invite the Flocks to drink,
And Reeds defend the winding Waters Brink.
Dryden.
The River
Adige
runs thro'
Verona
; so much is the Situation of the Town chang'd from what it was in
Silius Italicus
his Time.
—Verona Athesi circumflua.
L. 8.
Verona
by the circling
Adige
bound.
This is the only great River in
Lombardy
that does not fall into the
Po
; which it must have done, had it run but a little further before its entering the
Adriatic.
The Rivers are all of them mention'd by
Claudian.
—Venetosque erectior amnes
Magnâ voce ciet. Frondentibus humida ripis
Colla levant, pulcher Ticinus, & Addua visu
Caerulus, & velox Athesis, tardusque meatu
Mincius, inque novem consurgens ora Timavus.
Sexto con. Hon.
Venetia
's Rivers, summon'd all around,
Hear the loud Call, and answer to the Sound:
Her dropping Locks the Silver
Tessin
rears,
The blue transparent
Adda
next appears,
The rapid
Adige
then erects her Head,
And
Mincio
rising slowly from his Bed,
And last
Timavus,
that with eager force
From Nine wide Mouths comes gushing to his Course.
His
Larius
is doubtless an Imitation of
Virgil
's
Benacus.
—Umbrosâ vestit qua littus olivâ
Larius, & dulci mentitur Nerea fluctu.
De Bel. Get.
The
Larius
here, with Groves of Olives Crown'd,
An Ocean of fresh Water spreads around.
I saw at
Verona
the Famous Amphitheater, that with a few Modern Reparations has all the Seats entire. There is something very Noble in it, tho' the high Wall and Corridors that went round it are almost entirely ruined, and the Area is quite filled up to the lower Seat, which was formerly deep enough to let the Spectators see in Safety the Combats of the Wild Beasts and Gladiators. Since I have
Claudian
before me, I cannot forbear setting down the beautiful Description he has made of a Wild Beast newly brought from the Woods, and making its first Appearance in a full Amphitheater.
Ut fera quae nuper montes amisit avitos,
Altorumque exul nemorum, damnatur arenae
Muneribus, commota ruit; vir murmure contra
Hortatur, nixusque genu venabula tendit;
Illa pavet strepitus, cuneosque erecta Theatri
Despicit, & tanti miratur sibila vulgi.
In. Ruf. L. 2.
So rushes on his Foe the grisly Bear,
That, banish'd from the Hills and bushy Brakes,
His old Hereditary Haunts forsakes.
Condemn'd the cruel Rabble to delight,
His angry Keeper goads him to the Fight.
Bent on his Knee, the Savage glares around,
Scar'd with the mighty Croud's promiscuous Sound;
Then rearing on his hinder Paws retires,
And the vast hissing Multitude admires.
There are some other Antiquities in
Verona,
of which the Principal is the Ruin of a Triumphal Arch erected to
Flaminius,
where one sees old
Doric
Pillars without any Pedestal or Basis, as
Vitruvius
has described them. I have not yet seen any Gardens in
Italy
worth taking notice of. The
Italians
fall as far short of the
French
in this Particular, as they excel them in their Palaces. It must however be said, to the Honour of the
Italians,
that the
French
took from them the first Plans of their Gardens, as well as of their Water-Works; so that their surpassing of them at present is to be attributed rather to the Greatness of their Riches, than the Excellence of their Taste. I saw the Terrace-Garden of
Verona,
that Travellers generally mention. Among the Churches of
Verona,
that of St.
George
is the handsomest: Its chief Ornament is the Martyrdom of the Saint, drawn by
Paul Veronese
; as there are many other Pictures about the Town by the same Hand. A Stranger is always shown the Tomb of Pope
Lucius,
who lyes buried in the Dome. I saw in the same Church a Monument erected by the Publick to one of their Bishops: The Inscription says, that there was between him and his Maker,
Summa Necessitudo, Summa Similitudo.
The
Italian
Epitaphs are often more extravagant than those of other Countries, as the Nation is more given to Compliment and Hyperbole. From
Verona
to
Padua
we travelled thro' a very pleasant Country: It is planted thick with Rows of White Mulberry-trees, that furnish Food for great Quantities of Silk-worms with their Leaves, as the Swine and Poultry consume the Fruit. The Trees themselves serve, at the same time, as so many Stays for their Vines, which hang all along like Garlands from Tree to Tree. Between the several Ranges lye Fields of Corn, which in these warm Countries ripens much better among the Mulberry Shades, than if it were exposed to the open Sun. This was one Reason why the Inhabitants of this Country, when I passed thro' it, were extreamly apprehensive of seeing
Lombardy
the Seat of War, which must have made miserable Havock among their Plantations; for it is not here as in the Corn Fields of
Flanders,
where the whole Product of the Place rises from Year to Year. We arrived so late at
Vicenza,
that we had not time to take a full Sight of the Place. The next Day brought us to
Padua.
St.
Anthony,
who lived about Five Hundred Years ago, is the great Saint to whom they here pay their Devotions. He lyes buried in the Church that is Dedicated to him at present, tho' it was formerly Consecrated to the Blessed Virgin. It is extreamly magnificent, and very richly adorned. There are narrow Clefts in the Monument that stands over him, where good Catholicks rub their Beads, and smell his Bones, which they say have in them a natural Perfume, tho' very like Apoplectic Balsom; and what would make one suspect that they rub the Marble with it, it is observed that the Scent is stronger in the Morning than at Night. There are abundance of Inscriptions and Pictures hung up by his Votaries in several Parts of the Church: For it is the way of those that are in any Signal Danger to implore his Aid, and if they come off safe they call their Deliverance a Miracle, and perhaps hang up the Picture or Description of it in the Church. This Custom spoils the Beauty of several
Roman
Catholick Churches, and often covers the Walls with wretched Daubings, impertinent Inscriptions, Hands, Legs, and Arms of Wax, with a Thousand idle Offerings of the same Nature.
They sell at
Padua
the Life of St.
Anthony,
which is read with great Devotion; the most remarkable Part of it is his Discourse to an Assembly of Fish. As the Audience and Sermon are both very extraordinary, I will set down the whole Passage at length.
Non curando gli Heretici il suo parlare, egli si come era alla riva del mare, dove shocca il fiume Marecchia, chiamò da parte di Dio li pesci, che venissero à sentir la sua santa parola. Et ecco che di subito sopra l'acque nuotando gran moltitudine di varii, & diversi pesci, e del mare, e del fiume, si unirono tutti, secondo le specie loro, e con bell ordine, quasi che di ragion capaci stati fossero, attenti, e cheti con gratioso spettacolo s'accommodaro per sentir la parola di Dio. Ciò veduto il santo entro al cuor suo di dolcezza stillandosi, & per altretanta maraviglia inarcando le ciglia, della obedientia di queste irragionevoli creature così cominciò
oro à parlare. Se bene in tutte le cose create (cari, & amati pesci) si scuopre la potenza, & providenza infinita di Dio, come nel Cielo, nel Sole, nella Luna, nelle stelle, in questo mondo inferiore, nell huomo, e nelle altre creature perfette, nondimeno in Voi particolarmente lampeggia e risplende la bontà della maestà divina; perche se bone siete chiamati Rettili, mezzi frà pietre, e bruti, confinati nelli profondi abissi delle ondeggiante acque: agitati sempre da flutti: mossi sempre da procelle; sordi al' udire, mutoli al parlare, & horridi al vedere; con tutto ciò in Voi maravigliosamente si scorge la Divina grandezza; e da voi si cavano li maggiori misterii della bontà di Dio, ne mai si parla di voi nella Scrittura Sacra, che non vi sia ascosto qualche profondo Sacramento; Credete voi, che sia senza grandissimo misterio, che il primo dono fatto dall' onnipotente Iddio all' huomo fosse di voi Pesci? Credete voi che non sia misterio in questo, che di tutte le creature, e di tutti gl' animali si sien fatti sacrificii, eccetto, che di voi Pesci? Credete, che non vi sia qualche secreto in questo, che Christo nostro salvatore dall' agnelo pasquale in poi, si compiacque tanto del cibo di voi pesci? Credete, che sia à caso questo, che dovendo il Redentor del mondo, pagar, come huomo, il censo à Cesare la volesse trovaare nella bocca di un pesce? Tutti, tutti sono misteri è Sacramenti: perciò siete particolarmente obligati a lodare il vostro Creatore: amati pesci di Dio havete rivevuto l'essere, la vita, il moto, e'l senso; per stanza vi hà dato il liquido elemento dell' Acqua, secondo che alla vostra naturale inclinatione conviene: ivi hà fatti amplissimi alberghi, stanze, caverne, grotte, e secreti luogi à voi più che sale Regie, e regal Palazzi, cari, e grati; & per propria sede havete l'acqua, elemento diafano, transparente, e sempre lucido quasi cristallo, e verro; & dalle più basse, e profonde vostre stanze scorgete ciò che sopra acqua ò si fa, ò nuota; havete gli occhi quasi di Lince, ò di Argo, & da causa non errante guidati, seguite ciò che vi giova, & aggrada; & fuggite ciò che vi nuoce, havete natural de sio di conservarvi secondo le spetie vostre, fase, oprate & caminate ove natura vi detta senza contrastro alcuno; nè algor d'inverno, nè calor di state vi offende, ò nuoce; siasi per sereno, ò turbato il cielo, che alli vostri humidi alberghi nè frutto, nè danno apporta; siasi pure abbondevole de suoi tesori, ò scarsa de suoi frutti la terra, che a voi nulla giova; piova, tuoni, saetti, lampaggi, è subissi il mondo, che a voi ciò poco importa; verdeggi prinavera, scaldi la state, fruttifichi l' Autunno, & assideri li inverno, questo non vi rileva punto: ne trappassar del' hore nè correr de giorni, nè volar de mesi, ne fuggir d'anni, ne mutar de tempi, ne cangiar de stagioni vi dan pensiero alcuno, ma sempre sicura, & tranquilla vita liatamente vivere: O quanto, o quanto grande la Maestâ di Dio in voi si scuopre, O quanto mirabile la potenza sua; O quanto stupenda, & maravigliosa la sua providenza; poi che frà tutte le creature dell' universo so voi solo non sentisti il diluvio universale dell' acque; nè provasti i danni, che egli face almondo; e tutto questo ch' io ho detto dovrebbe muovervi à lodar Dio a ringratiare sua divina maestà di tanti e cosi singolari beneficii, che vi ha fatti, di tante gratie: che vi ha conferite, di tanti favori, di che vi ha fatti degna; per tanto, se non potete snodar la lingua à ringratiar il vostro Benefattore, & non sapete con parole esprimer le sue lodi, fatele segno di riverenza almeno; chinatevi al suo nome; mostrate nel modo che potete sembiante di gratitudine; rendetevi benevoli alla bontà sua, in quel miglior modo che potete; O sapete, non siate sconoscenti de suoi beneficii, & non siate ingrati de suoi favori. A questo dire, O maraviglia grande, come si quelli pesci havessero havuto humano intelletto, e discorso, con gesti di profonda Humiltà, con riverenti sembianti di religione, chinarono la testa, blandiro co'l corpo, quasi approvando ciò che detto havea il benedetto padre S. Antonio.
When the Hereticks would not regard his Preaching, he betook himself to the Sea-shore, where the River
Marecchia
disembogues it self into the Adriatic. He here called the Fish together in the Name of God, that they might hear his Holy Word. The Fish came swimming towards him in such vast Shoals, both from the Sea and from the River, that the Surface of the Water was quite covered with their Multitudes. They quickly ranged themselves, according to their several Species, into a very beautiful Congregation, and, like so many rational Creatures, presented themselves before him to hear the Word of God. St.
Antonio
was so struck with the miraculous Obedience and Submission of these poor Animals, that he found a secret Sweetness distilling upon his Soul, and at last addressed himself to them in the following Words.
Altho' the Infinite Power and Providence of God (my dearly beloved Fish) discovers it self in all the Works of his Creation, as in the Heavens, in the Sun, in the Moon, and in the Stars, in this lower World, in Man, and in other perfect Creatures; nevertheless the Goodness of the Divine Majesty shines out in you more eminently, and appears after a more particular manner, than in any other Created Beings. For notwithstanding you are comprehended under the Name of
Reptiles,
partaking of a middle Nature between Stones and Beasts, and Imprisoned in the Deep Abyss of Waters; notwithstanding you are tost among Billows, thrown up and down by Tempests, deaf to Hearing, dumb to Speech, and terrible to behold: Notwithstanding, I say, these natural Disadvantages, the Divine Greatness shows it self in you after a very wonderful manner. In you are seen the mighty Mysteries of an Infinite Goodness. The Holy Scripture has always made use of you, as the Types and Shadows of some profound Sacrament.
Do you think that, without a Mystery, the first Present that God almighty made to Man, was of you, O ye Fishes? Do you think that, without a Mystery, among all Creatures and Animals which were appointed for Sacrifices, you only were excepted, O ye Fishes? Do you think there was nothing meant by our Saviour Christ, that next to the Paschal Lamb he took so much Pleasure in the Food of you, O ye Fishes? Do you think it was by meer Chance, that when the Redeemer of the World was to pay a Tribute to
Caesar,
he thought fit to find it in the Mouth of a Fish? These are all of them so many Mysteries and Sacraments, that oblige you in a more particular manner to the Praises of your Creator.
It is from God, my beloved Fish, that you have received Being, Life, Motion and Sense. It is he that has given you, in Compliance with your natural Inclinations, the whole World of Waters for your Habitation
It is he that has furnished it with Lodgings, Chambers, Caverns, Grottoes, and such magnificent Retirements as are not to be met with in the Seats of Kings, or in the Palaces of Princes: You have the Water for your Dwelling, a clear transparent Element, brighter than Chrystal; you can see from its deepest Bottom every thing that passes on its Surface; you have the Eyes of a
Lynx,
or of an
Argus
; you are guided by a secret and unerring Principle, delighting in every thing that may be beneficial to you, and avoiding every thing that may be hurtful; you are carried on by a hidden Instinct to preserve your selves, and to propagate your Species; you obey, in all your Actions, Works and Motions, the Dictates and Suggestions of Nature, without the least Repugnancy or Contradiction.
The Colds of Winter, and the Heats of Summer, are equally incapable of molesting you. A Serene or a clouded Sky are indifferent to you. Let the Earth abound in Fruits, or be cursed with Scarcity, it has no Influence on your Welfare. You live secure in Rains and Thunders, Lightnings and Earthquakes; you have no Concern in the Blossoms of Spring, or in the Glowings of Summer, in the Fruits of Autumn, or in the Frosts of Winter. You are not solicitous about Hours or Days, Months or Years; the Variableness of the Weather, or the Change of Seasons.
In what dreadful Majesty, in what wonderful Power, in what amazing Providence did God Almighty distinguish you among all the Species of Creatures that perished in the Universal Deluge! You only were insensible of the Mischief that had laid waste the whole World.
All this, as I have already told you, ought to inspire you with Gratitude and Praise towards the Divine Majesty, that has done so great things for you, granted you such particular Graces and Privileges, and heaped upon you so many distinguishing Favours. And since for all this you cannot employ your Tongues in the Praises of your Benefactor, and are not provided with Words to express your Gratitude; make at least some Sign of Reverence; bow your selves at his Name; give some show of Gratitude, according to the best of your Capacities; express your Thanks in the most becoming manner that you are able, and be not unmindful of all the Benefits he has bestowed upon you.
He had no sooner done speaking, but behold a Miracle! The Fish, as tho' they had been endued with Reason, bowed down their Heads with all the Marks of a profound Humility and Devotion, moving their Bodies up and down with a kind of Fondness, as approving what had been spoken by the Blessed Father, St.
Antonio.
The Legend adds, that after many Hereticks, who were present at the Miracle, had been converted by it, the Saint gave his Benediction to the Fish, and dismissed them.
Several other the like Stories of St.
Antony
are represented about his Monument in a very fine
Basso Relievo.
I could not forbear setting down the Titles given to St.
Antony
in one of the Tables that hangs up to him, as a Token of Gratitude from a poor Peasant, who fancied the Saint had saved him from breaking his Neck.
Sacratissimi pusionis Bethlehemitici
Lilio candidiori Delicio,
Seraphidum soli fulgidissimo,
Celsissimo sacrae sapientiae tholo,
Prodigiorum patratori Potentissimo,
Mortis, Erroris, Calamitatis, Leprae, Daemonis,
Dispensatori, correctori, Liberatori, curatori, fugatori,
Sancto, sapienti, pio, potenti, tremendo,
Aegrotorum & Naufragantium Salvatori
Praesentissimo, tutissimo.
Membrorum restitutori, vinculorum confractori,
Rerum perditarum Inventori stupendo,
Periculorum omnium profligatori
Magno, Mirabili,
Ter Sancto,
Antonio Paduano,
Pientissimo post Deum ejusque Virgineam matrem
Protectori & Sospitatori suo,
&c.
The Custom of hanging up Limbs in Wax, as well as Pictures, is certainly derived from the old Heathens, who used, upon their Recovery, to make an Offering in Wood, Metal or Clay, of the Part that had been afflicted with a Distemper, to the Deity that delivered them. I have seen, I believe, every Limb of a Human Body figured in Iron or Clay, which were formerly made on this Occasion, among the several Collections of Antiquities that have been shown me in
Italy.
The Church of St.
Justina,
designed by
Palladio,
is the most handsom, luminous, disencumbered Building in the Inside that I have ever seen, and is esteemed by many Artists one of the finest Works in
Italy.
The long Nef consists of a Row of Five Cupola's, the cross-one has on each side a single Cupola deeper and broader than the others. The Martyrdom of St.
Justina
hangs over the Altar, and is a Piece of
Paul Veronese.
In the great Town-Hall of
Padua
stands a Stone superscribed
Lapis Vituperii.
Any Debtor that will swear himself not worth Five Pound, and is set by the Bailifs thrice with his bare Buttocks on this Stone in a full Hall, clears himself of any farther Prosecution from his Creditors; but this is a Punishment that no Body has submitted to these Four and Twenty Years. The University of
Padua
is of late much more regular than it was formerly, tho' it is not yet safe walking the Streets after Sun-set. There is at
Padua
a Manufacture of Cloth, which has brought very great Revenues into the Republick. At present the
English
have not only gained upon the
Venetians
in the
Levant,
which used chiefly to be supplyed from this Manufacture, but have great Quantities of their Cloth in
Venice
it self; few of the Nobility wearing any other sort, notwithstanding the Magistrate of the Pomps is obliged by his Office to see that no Body wears the Cloth of a Forreign Country. Our Merchants indeed are forced to make use of some Artifice to get these Prohibited Goods into Port. What they here show for the Ashes of
Livy
and
Antenor
is disregarded by the best of their own Antiquaries.
The pretended Tomb of
Antenor
put me in Mind of the latter part of
Virgil
's Description, which gives us the Original of
Padua.
Antenor potuit mediis elapsus Achivis
Illyricos penetrare sinus, atque intimae tutus
Regna Liburnorum, & fontem superare Timavi:
Unde per ora novem vasto cum murmure montis
It mare praeruptum, & pelago premit arva sonanti;
Hic tamen ille urbem Patavi, sedesque locavit
Teucrorum, & genti nomen dedit, armaque fixit
Troïa: nunc placidâ compostus pace quiescit.
Ae. 1.
Antenor,
from the midst of
Grecian
Hosts,
Could pass secure; and pierce th'
Illyrian
Coasts,
Where rolling down the steep
Timavus
raves,
And through Nine Channels disembogues his Waves.
At length he founded
Padua
's happy Seat,
And gave his
Trojans
a secure Retreat:
There fix'd their Arms, and there renew'd their Names;
And there in quiet lyes.—
Dryden.
From
Padua
I went down to the River
Brent
in the Ordinary Ferry, which brought me in a Day's time to
Venice.
VENICE.
H Aving often heard
Venice
represented as one of the most defensible Cities in the World, I took Care to inform my self of the Particulars in which its Strength consists. And these I find are chiefly owing to its advantagious Situation; for it has neither Rocks nor Fortifications near it, and yet is, perhaps, the most impregnable Town in
Europe.
It stands at least Four Miles from any part of the
Terra Firma,
nor are the Shallows that lye about it, ever frozen hard enough to bring over an Army from the Land-side. The constant Flux and Reflux of the Sea, or the natural Mildness of the Climate, hindering the Ice from gathering to any Thickness; which is an Advantage the
Hollanders
want, when they have laid all their Country under Water. On the Side that is exposed to the Adriatic, the Entrance is so difficult to hit, that they have marked it out with several Stakes driven into the Ground, which they would not fail to cut upon the first approach of an Enemy's Fleet. For this Reason they have not fortified the little Islands, that lye at the Entrance, to the best Advantage, which might otherwise very easily command all the Passes that lead to the City from the Adriatic. Nor could an ordinary Fleet, with Bomb-Vessels, hope to succeed against a Place that has always in its Arsenal a considerable Number of Gallies and Men of War ready to put to Sea on a very short warning. If we could therefore suppose them blocked up on all sides, by a Power too strong for them, both by Sea and Land, they would be able to defend themselves against every thing but Famine; and this would not be a little mitigated by the great Quantities of Fish that their Seas abound with, and that may be taken up in the midst of their very Streets, which is such a natural Magazine as few other Places can boast of.
Our Voyage-Writers will needs have this City in great Danger of being left, within an Age or two, on the
Terra Firma
; and represent it in such a manner, as if the Sea was insensibly shrinking from it, and retiring into its Channel. I asked several, and among the rest Father
Coronelli,
the State's Geographer, of the Truth of this Particular, and they all assured me that the Sea rises as high as ever, tho' the great Heaps of Dirt it brings along with it are apt to choak up the Shallows, but that they are in no Danger of losing the Benefit of their Situation, so long as they are at the Charge of removing these Banks of Mud and Sand. One may see abundance of them above the Surface of the Water, scattered up and down like so many little Islands, when the Tide is low; and they are these that make the Entrance for Ships difficult to such as are not used to them, for the deep Canals run between them, which the
Venetians
are at a great Expence to keep free and open.
This City stands very convenient for Commerce. It has several Navigable Rivers that run up into the Body of
Italy,
by which they might supply a great many Countries with Fish and other Commodities; not to mention their Opportunities for the
Levant,
and each side of the Adriatic. But, notwithstanding these Conveniencies, their Trade is far from being in a flourishing Condition for many Reasons. The Duties are great that are laid on Merchandises. Their Nobles think it below their Quality to engage in Traffick. The Merchants who are grown Rich, and able to manage great Dealings, buy their Nobility, and generally give over Trade. Their Manufactures of Cloth, Glass and Silk, formerly the best in
Europe,
are now excelled by those of other Countries. They are tenacious of old Laws and Customs to their great Prejudice, whereas a Trading Nation must be still for new Changes and Expedients, as different Junctures and Emergencies arise. The State is at present very sensible of this Decay in their Trade, and as a Noble
Venetian,
who is still a Merchant, told me, they will speedily find out some Method to redress it; possibly by making a free Port, for they look with an Evil Eye upon
Leghorne,
which draws to it most of the Vessels bound for
Italy.
They have hitherto been so negligent in this Particular, that many think the Great Duke's Gold has had no small Influence in their Councils.
Venice
has several Particulars which are not to be found in other Cities, and is therefore very entertaining to a Traveller. It looks, at a distance, like a great Town half floated by a Deluge. There are Canals every where crossing it, so that one may go to most Houses either by Land or Water. This is a very great Convenience to the Inhabitants; for a
Gondola
with Two Oars at
Venice,
is as magnificent as a Coach and Six Horses, with a large Equipage, in another Country; besides that it makes all Carriages extreamly cheap. The Streets are generally Paved with Brick or Free-stone, and always kept very neat, for there is no Carriage, not so much as a Chair, that passes thro' them. There is an innumerable Multitude of very handsome Bridges, all of a single Arch, and without any Fence on either side, which would be a great Inconvenience to a City less sober than
Venice.
One would indeed wonder that Drinking is so little in Vogue among the
Venetians,
who are in a moist Air and a moderate Climate, and have no such Diversions as Bowling, Hunting, Walking, Riding, and the like Exercises to employ them without Doors. But as the Nobles are not to Converse too much with Strangers, they are in no Danger of learning it; and they are generally too distrustful of one another for the Freedoms that are used in such kind of Conversations. There are many Noble Palaces in
Venice.
Their Furniture is not commonly very Rich, if we except the Pictures, which are here in greater plenty than in any other Place in
Europe,
from the Hands of the best Masters of the
Lombard
School; as
Titian, Paul Veronese
and
Tintoret.
The last of these is in greater Esteem at
Venice
than in other Parts of
Italy.
The Rooms are generally hung with Gilt Leather, which they cover on extraordinary Occasions with Tapestry, and Hangings of greater Value. The Flooring is a kind of Red Plaister made of Brick ground to Powder, and afterwards work'd into Mortar. It is rubbed with Oil, and makes a smooth, shining and beautiful Surface. These Particularities are chiefly owing to the Moisture of the Air, which would have an ill Effect on other kinds of Furniture, as it shows it self too visibly in many of their finest Pictures. Tho' the
Venetians
are extreamly jealous of any great Fame or Merit in a living Member of their Common-wealth, they never fail of giving a Man his due Parises, when they are in no Danger of suffering from his Ambition. For this Reason, tho' there are a great many Monuments erected to such as have been Benefactors to the Republick, they are generally put up after their Deaths. Among the many Elogiums that are given to the Doge
Pisauro,
who had been Ambassador in
England,
his Epitaph says,
In Angliâ Jacobi Regis obitum mirâ calliditate celatum mirâ sagacitate rimatus priscam benevolentiam firmavit.
The particular Palaces, Churches, and Pictures of
Venice,
are enumerated in several little Books that may be bought on the Place, and have been faithfully Transcribed by many Voyage-Writers. When I was at
Venice,
they were putting out very curious Stamps of the several Edifices which are most famous for their Beauty or Magnificence. The
Arsenal
of
Venice
is an Island of about three Miles round. It contains all the Stores and Provisions for War, that are not actually employed. There are Docks for their Gallies and Men of War, most of them full, as well as Work-Houses for all Land and Naval Preparations. That Part of it, where the Arms are laid, makes a great show, and was indeed very extraordinary about a Hundred Years ago, but at present a great part of its Furniture is grown useless. There seem to be almost as many Suits of Armour as there are Guns. The Swords are old-fashion'd and unwieldy in a very great Number, and the Fire-Arms fitted with Locks of little Convenience in comparison of those that are now in use. The
Venetians
pretend they could set out, in Case of great Necessity, Thirty Men of War, a Hundred Gallies, and Ten Galeasses, tho' I cannot conceive how they could Man a Fleet of half the number. It was certainly a mighty Error in this State to affect so many Conquests on the
Terra Firma,
which has only served to raise the Jealousie of the Christian Princes, and about Three Hundred Years ago had like to have ended in the utter Extirpation of the Common-wealth; whereas, had they applyed themselves with the same Politics and Industry to the Increase of their Strength by Sea, they might perhaps have had all the Islands of the
Archipelago
in their Hands, and, by Consequence, the greatest Fleet, and the most Sea-men of any other State in
Europe.
Besides, that this would have given no Jealousie to the Princes their Neighbours, who would have enjoyed their own Dominions in Peace, and have been very well contented to have seen so strong a Bulwark against all the Forces and Invasions of the
Ottoman
Empire.
This Republick has been much more powerful than it is at present, as it is still likelier to sink than increase in its Dominions. It is not impossible but the
Spaniard
may, some time or other, demand of them
Creme, Brescia,
and
Bergame,
which have been torn from the
Milanese
; and in case a War should arise upon it, and the
Venetians
lose a single Battel, they might be beaten off the Continent in a single Summer, for their Fortifications are very Inconsiderable. On the other side, the
Venetians
are in continual Apprehensions from the
Turk,
who will certainly endeavour at the Recovery of the
Morea,
as soon as the
Ottoman
Empire has recruited a little of its antient Strength. They are very sensible that they had better have pushed their Conquests on the other side of the Adriatick into
Albania,
for then their Territories would have lain together, and have been nearer the Fourtain-Head to have received Succours on occasions; but the
Venetians
are under Articles with the Emperor, to resign into his Hands whatever they conquer of the
Turkish
Dominions, that has been formerly dismembered from the Empire. And having already very much dissatisfied him in the
Frioul
and
Dalmatia,
they dare not think of exasperating him further. The Pope disputes with them their Pretensions to the
Polesin,
as the Duke of
Savoy
lays an equal Claim to the Kingdom of
Cyprus.
'Tis surprising to consider with what Heats these Two Powers have contested their Title to a Kingdom that is in the Hands of the
Turk.
Among all these Difficulties the Republick will still maintain it self, if Policy can prevail upon Force; for it is certain the
Venetian
Senate is one of the wisest Councils in the World, tho' at the same time, if we believe the Reports of several that have been well versed in their Constitution, a great part of their Politics is founded on Maxims which others do not think consistent with their Honour to put in practice. The Preservation of the Republick is that to which all other Considerations submit. To encourage Idleness and Luxury in the Nobility, to cherish Ignorance and Licentiousness in the Clergy, to keep alive a continual Faction in the Common People, to connive at the Viciousness and Debauchery of Convents, to breed Dissensions among the Nobles of the
Terra Firma,
to treat a brave Man with Scorn and Infamy: In short, to stick at nothing for the Publick Interest, are represented as the refined Parts of the
Venetian
Wisdom.
Among all the Instances of their Politics, there is none more admirable than the great Secrecy that reigns in their Public Councils. The Senate is generally as numerous as our House of Commons, if we only reckon the sitting Members, and yet carries its Resolutions so privately, that they are seldom known 'till they discover themselves in the Execution. It is not many Years since they had before them a great Debate concerning the Punishment of one of their Admirals, which lasted a Month together, and concluded in his Condemnation; yet was there none of his Friends, nor of those who had engaged warmly in his Defence, that gave him the least Intimation of what was passing against him, 'till he was actually seiz'd, and in the Hands of Justice.
The Noble
Venetians
think themselves equal at least to the Electors of the Empire, and but one Degree below Kings; for which reason they seldom travel into Foreign Countries, where they must undergo the Mortification of being treated like private Gentlemen: Yet it is observed of them, that they discharge themselves with a great deal of Dexterity in such Embassies and Treaties as are laid on them by the Republick; for their whole Lives are employed in Intrigues of State, and they naturally give themselves Airs of Kings and Princes, of which the Ministers of other Nations are only the Representatives. Monsieur
Amelot
reckons in his Time, Two Thousand Five Hundred Nobles that had Voices in the great Council, but at present, I am told, there are not at most Fifteen Hundred, notwithstanding the Addition of many new Families since that time. It is very strange, that with this Advantage they are not able to keep up their Number, considering that the Nobility spreads equally thro' all the Brothers, and that so very few of them are destroyed by the Wars of the Republick. Whether this may be imputed to the Luxury of the
Venetians,
or to the ordinary Celibacy of the younger Brothers, or to the last Plague which swept away many of them, I know not. They generally thrust the Females of their Families into Convents, the better to preserve their Estates. This makes the
Venetian
Nuns famous for the Liberties they allow themselves. They have Opera's within their own Walls, and often go out of their Bounds to meet their Admirers, or they are very much misrepresented. They have many of them their Lovers, that converse with them daily at the Grate, and are very free to admit a Visit from a Stranger. There is indeed one of the
Cornara's,
that not long ago refused to see any under a Prince.
The Carnaval of
Venice
is every where talked of. The great Diversion of the place at that Time, as well as on all other high Occasions, is Masking. The
Venetians,
who are naturally Grave, love to give into the Follies and Entertainments of such Seasons, when disguised in a false Personage. They are indeed under a necessity of finding out Diversions that may agree with the Nature of the Place, and make some Amends for the Loss of several Pleasures which may be met with on the Continent. These Disguises give Occasion to abundance of Love Adventures; for there is something more intriguing in the Amours of
Venice,
than in those of other Countries, and I question not but the Secret History of a Carnaval would make a Collection of very diverting Novels. Opera's are another great Entertainment of this Season. The Poetry of them is generally as exquisitely ill, as the Musick is good. The Arguments are often taken from some celebrated Action of the ancient
Greeks
or
Romans,
which sometimes looks ridiculous enough; for who can endure to hear one of the rough old
Romans
squeaking thro' the Mouth of an Eunuch, especially when they may chuse a Subject out of Courts where Eunuchs are really Actors, or represent by them any of the soft
Asiatic
Monarchs? The Opera that was most in Vogue, during my Stay at
Venice,
was built on the following Subject.
Caesar
and
Scipio
are Rivals for
Cato
's Daughter.
Caesar
's first Words bid his Soldiers fly, for the Enemies are upon them.
Si Leva Cesare, e dice a Soldati. A la fugga. A' lo Scampo.
The Daughter gives the Preference to
Caesar,
which is made the Occasion of
Cato
's Death. Before he kills himself, you see him withdrawn into his Library, where, among his Books, I observed the Titles of
Plutarch
and
Tasso.
After a short Soliloquy he strikes himself with the Dagger that he holds in his Hand, but, being interrupted by one of his Friends, he stabs him for his Pains, and by the Violence of the Blow unluckily breaks the Dagger on one of his Ribs, so that he is forced to dispatch himself by tearing up his first Wound. This last Circumstance puts me in Mind of a Contrivance in the Opera of St.
Angelo,
that was acted at the same time. The King of the Play endeavours at a Rape, but the Poet being resolved to save his Heroine's Honour, has so ordered it, that the King always acts with a great Case-Knife stuck in his Girdle, which the Lady snatches from him in the Struggle, and so defends her self.
The
Italian
Poets, besides the celebrated Smoothness of their Tongue, have a particular Advantage, above the Writers of other Nations, in the difference of their Poetical and Prose Language. There are indeed Sets of Phrases that in all Countries are peculiar to the Poets, but among the
Italians
there are not only Sentences, but a Multitude of particular Words that never enter into common Discourse. They have such a different Turn and Polishing for Poetical Use, that they drop several of their Letters, and appear in another Form, when they come to be ranged in Verse. For this Reason the
Italian
Opera seldom sinks into a Poorness of Language, but, amidst all the Meanness and Familiarity of the Thoughts, has something beautiful and sonorous in the Expression. Without this natural Advantage of the Tongue, their present Poetry would appear wretchedly low and vulgar, notwithstanding the many strained Allegories that are so much in use among the Writers of this Nation. The
English
and
French,
who always use the same Words in Verse as in ordinary Conversation, are forced to raise their Language with Metaphors and Figures, or, by the Pompousness of the whole Phrase, to wear off any Littleness that appears in the particular Parts that compose it. This makes our Blank Verse, where there is no Rhime to support the Expression, extreamly difficult to such as are not Masters in the Tongue, especially when they write on low Subjects; and 'tis probably for this Reason that
Milton
has made use of such frequent Transpositions, Latinisms, antiquated Words and Phrases, that he might the better deviate from vulgar and ordinary Expressions.
The Comedies that I saw at
Venice,
or indeed in any other Part of
Italy,
are very indifferent, and more lewd than those of other Countries. Their Poets have no Notion of gentile Comedy, and fall into the most filthy double Meanings imaginable, when they have a Mind to make their Audience merry. There is no Part generally so wretched as that of the fine Gentleman, especially when he Converses with his Mistress; for then the whole Dialogue is an insipid mixture of Pedantry and Romance. But 'tis no wonder that the Poets of so Jealous and Reserved a Nation fail in such Conversations on the Stage, as they have no Patterns of in Nature. There are Four Standing Characters which enter into every Piece that comes on the Stage, the
Doctor, Harlequin, Pantalone
and
Coviello.
The
Doctor
's Character comprehends the whole Extent of a Pedant, that with a deep Voice, and a Magisterial Air breaks in upon Conversation, and drives down all before him: Every thing he says is backed with Quotations out of
Galen, Hippocrates, Plato, Virgil,
or any Author that rises uppermost, aad all Answers from his Companion are looked upon as Impertinencies or Interruptions.
Harlequin
's Part is made up of Blunders and Absurdities: He is to mistake one Name for another, to forget his Errands, to stumble over Queens, and to run his Head against every Post that stands in his way. This is all attended with something so Comical in the Voice and Gestures, that a Man, who is sensible of the Folly of the Part, can hardly forbear being pleased with it.
Pantalone
is generally an old Cully, and
Coviello
a Sharper.
I have seen a Translation of the
Cid
acted at
Bolonia,
which would never have taken, had they not found a Place in it for these Buffoons. All Four of them appear in Masks that are made like the old
Roman Personae,
as I shall have occasion to observe in another Place. The
French
and
Italians
have probably derived this Custom of shewing some of their Characters in Masks, from the
Greek
and
Roman
Theater. The old
Vatican Terence
has at the Head of every Scene the Figures of all the Persons that are concerned in it, with the particular Disguises in which they acted; and I remember to have seen in the
Villa Mattheio
an Antick Statue mask'd, which was perhaps designed for
Gnatho
in the Eunuch, for it agrees exactly with the Figure he makes in the
Vatican
Manuscript. One would wonder indeed how so Polite a People, as the ancient
Romans
and
Athenians,
should not look on these borrowed Faces as unnatural. They might do very well for a Cyclops, or a Satyr, that can have no Resemblance in Human Features; but for a Flatterer, a Miser, or the like Characters, which abound in our own Species, nothing is more ridiculous than to represent their Looks by a painted Vizard. In Persons of this Nature the Turns and Motions of the Face are often as agreeable as any part of the Action. Could we suppose that a Mask represented never so naturally the general Humour of a Character, it can never suit with the Variety of Passions that are incident to every single Person in the whole Course of a Play. The Grimace may be proper on some Occasions, but is too steady to agree with all. The Rabble indeed are generally pleased at the first Entry of a Disguise, but the Jest grows cold even with them too when it comes on the Stage in a Second Scene.
Since I am on this Subject, I cannot forbear mentioning a Custom at
Venice,
which they tell me is particular to the common People of this Country, of singing Stanza's out of
Tasso.
They are set to a pretty Solemn Tune, and when one begins in any part of the Poet, it is odds but he will be answered by some Body else that over-hears him: So that sometimes you have Ten or a Dozen in the Neighbourhood of one another, taking Verse after Verse, and running on with the Poem as far as their Memories will carry them.
On Holy-
Thursday,
among the several Shows that are yearly exhibited, I saw one that is odd enough, and particular to the
Venetians.
There is a Set of Artisans, who by the help of several Poles, which they lay across each others Shoulders, build themselves up into a kind of Pyramid; so that you see a Pile of Men in the Air of Four or Five Rows rising one above another. The Weight is so equally distributed, that every Man is very well able to bear his part of it, the Stories, if I may so call them, growing less and less as they advance higher and higher. A little Boy represents the Point of the Pyramid, who, after a short space, leaps off, with a great deal of Dexterity, into the Arms of one that catches him at the Bottom. In the same manner the whole Building falls to pieces. I have been the more particular on this, because it explains the following Verses of
Claudian,
which show that the
Venetians
are not the Inventors of this Trick.
Vel qui mere avium sese jaculantur in auras,
Corporaque aedificant, celeri crescentia nexu,
Quorum compositam puer augmentatus in arcem
Emicat, & vinctus plantae, vel cruribus haerens,
Pendula librato figit vestigia saltu.
Claud. de Pr. & Olyb. Cons.
Men, pil'd on Men, with active Leaps arise,
And build the breathing Fabrick to the Skies;
A sprightly Youth above the top most Row
Points the tall Pyramid, and crowns the Show.
Tho' we meet with the
Veneti
in the old Poets, the City of
Venice
is too modern to find a Place among them.
Sannazarius
's Epigram is too well known to be inserted. The same Poet has celebrated this City in Two other Places of his Poems.
—Quis Venetae miracula proferat urbis,
Una instar magni quae simul Orbis habet?
Salve Italûm Regina, altae pulcherrima Romae
Aemula, quae terris, quae dominaris aquis!
Tu tibi vel Reges cives facis; O Decus, O Lux
Ausoniae, per quam libera turba sumus,
Per quam Barbaries nobis non imperat, & Sol
Exoriens nostro clarius orbe nitet!
L. 3. El. 1.
Venetia
stands with Endless Beauties crown'd,
And as a World within her self is found.
Hail Queen of
Italy
! for Years to come
The mighty Rival of Immortal
Rome
!
Nations and Seas are in thy States enroll'd,
And Kings among thy Citizens are told.
Ausonia
's brightest Ornament! by Thee
She sits a Sov'raign, Unenslav'd and Free;
By Thee, the rude Barbarian chas'd away,
The Rising Sun chears with a purer Ray
Our Western World, and doubly gilds the Day.
Nec Tu semper eris, que septem amplecteris arces,
Nec Tu, quae mediis aemula surgis aquis.
L. 2. El. 1.
Thou too shalt fall by Time or barb'rous Foes,
Whose circling Walls the Sev'n fam'd Hills enclose;
And Thou, whose Rival Tow'rs Invade the Skies,
And, from amidst the Waves, with equal Glory rise.
FERRARA, RAVENNA, RIMINI.
A T
Venice
I took a Bark for
Ferrara,
and in my way thither saw several Mouths of the
Po,
by which it empties it self into the Adriatic,
—Quo non alius per pinguia culta
In mare purpureum violentior influit amnis.
Virg. G. 4.
which is true, if understood only of the Rivers of
Italy.
Lucan
's Description of the
Po
would have been very beautiful, had he known when to have given over.
Quoque magis nullum tellus se solvit in amnem
Eridanus, fractasque evolvit in aequora sylvas,
Hesperiamque exhaurit aquis, hunc fabula primum
Populeâ fiuvium ripas umbrâsse coronâ:
Cumque diem pronum transverso limite ducens
Succendit Phaëton flagrantibus aethera loris;
Gurgitibus raptis, penitus tellure perustâ,
Hunc
abuisse pares Phoebeis ignibus undas.
L. 2.
The
Po,
that rushing with uncommon Force,
O'er-sets whole Woods in its tumultuous Course,
And rising from
Hesperia
's watry Veins,
Th' exhausted Land of all its Moisture drains.
The
Po,
as sings the Fable, first convey'd
Its wond'ring Current through a Poplar Shade:
For when young
Phaeton
mistook his way,
Lost and confounded in the Blaze of Day,
This River, with surviving Streams supply'd,
When all the rest of the whole Earth were dry'd,
And Nature's self lay ready to expire,
Quench'd the dire Flame that set the World on Fire.
The Poet's Reflections follow.
Non minor hic Nilo, si non per plana jacentis
Aegypti Libycas Nilus stagnaret arenas.
Non minor hic Istro, nisi quod dum permeat orbem
Ister, casuros in quaelibet aequora fontes
Accipit, & Scythicas exit non solus in undas.
Id.
Nor would the
Nile
more watry Stores contain,
But that he stagnates on the
Libyan
Plain:
Nor would the
Danube
run with greater Force,
But that he gathers in his tedious Course
Ten Thousand Streams, and swelling as he flows,
In
Scythian
Seas the Glut of Rivers throws.
That is, says
Scaliger,
the
Eridanus
would be bigger than the
Nile
and
Danube,
if the
Nile
and
Danube
were not bigger than the
Eridanus.
What makes the Poet's Remark the more improper, the very Reason why the
Danube
is greater than the
Po,
as he assigns it, is that which really makes the
Po
as great as it is; for before its Fall into the Gulf, it receives into its Channel the most considerable Rivers of
Piemont, Milan,
and the rest of
Lombardy.
From
Venice
to
Ancona
the Tide comes in very sensibly at its stated Periods, but rises more or less in proportion as it advances nearer the Head of the Gulf.
Lucan
has run out of his way to describe this
Phaenomenon,
which is indeed very extraordinary to those who lye out of the Neighbourhood of the great Ocean, and, according to his usual Custom, lets his Poem stand still that he may give way to his own Reflections.
Quàque jacet littus dubium, quod terra fretumque
Vendicat alternis vicibus, cum funditur ingens
Oceanus, vel cùm refugis se fluctibus aufert.
Ventus ab extremo pelagus sic axe volutet
Destituatque ferens: an sidere mota secundo
Tethyos unda vagae Lunaribus aestuet horis:
Flammiger an Titan, ut alentes hauriat undas,
Erigat Oceanum fluctusque ad sidera tollat,
Quaerite quos agitat mundi labor: at mihi semper
Tu quaecunque moves tam crebros causa meatus,
Ut superi voluere, late.—
Lib. 1.
Wash'd with successive Seas, the doubtful Strand
By turns is Ocean, and by turns is Land:
Whether the Winds in distant Regions blow,
Moving the World of Waters to and fro;
Or waining Moons their settled Periods keep
To swell the Billows, and ferment the Deep;
Or the tir'd Sun, his Vigour to supply,
Raises the floating Mountains to the Sky,
And slakes his Thirst within the mighty Tide,
Do you who study Nature's Works decide:
Whilst I the dark mysterious Cause admire,
Nor, into what the Gods conceal, presumptuously enquire.
At
Ferrara
I met nothing extraordinary. The Town is very large, but extreamly thin of People. It has a Citadel, and something like a Fortification running round it, but so large that it requires more Soldiers to defend it, than the Pope has in his whole Dominions. The Streets are as beautiful as any I have seen, in their Length, Breadth, and Regularity. The
Benedictins
have the finest Convent of the Place. They show'd us in the Church
Aristo
's Monument: His Epitaph says, he was
Nobilitate generis atque Animi clarus, in rebus publicis administrandis, in regendis populis, in gravissimis & summis Pontificis legationibus prudentiâ, consilio, eloquentiâ praestantissimus.
I came down a Branch of the
Po,
as far as
Alberto,
within Ten Miles of
Ravenna.
All this Space lyes miserably uncultivated 'till you come near
Ravenna,
where the Soil is made extreamly fruitful, and shows that much of the rest might, be were there. Hands enough to manage it to the best Advantage. It is now on both sides the Road very Marshy, and generally over-grown with Rushes, which made me fancy it was once floated by the Sea, that lyes within Four Miles of it. Nor could I in the least doubt it when I saw
Ravenna,
that is now almost at the same distance from the Adriatic, tho' it was formerly the most famous of all the
Roman
Ports.
One may guess at its ancient Situation from
Martial
's
Meliùsque Ranae garrian
Ravennates.
Lib. 3.
Ravenna
's Frogs in better Musick croak.
and the Description that
Silius Italicus
has given us of it.
Quàque gravi remo limosis segniter undis
Lenta paludosae perscindunt stagna Ravennae.
L. 8.
Encumber'd in the Mud, their Oars divide
With heavy Stroaks the thick unwieldy Tide.
Accordingly the old Geographers represent it as situated among Marshes and Shallows. The Place which is shown for the Haven, is on a Level with the Town, and has probably been stopped up by the great Heaps of Dirt that the Sea has thrown into it; for all the Soil on that side of
Ravenna
has been left there insensibly by the Sea's discharging it self upon it for so many Ages. The Ground must have been formerly much lower, for otherwise the Town would have lain under Water. The Remains of the
Pharos,
that stand about Three Miles from the Sea, and Two from the Town, have their Foundations covered with Earth for some Yards, as they told me, which notwithstanding are upon a Level with the Fields that lye about them, tho' 'tis probable they took the Advantage of a rising Ground to set it upon. It was a square Tower of about Twelve Yards in Breadth, as appears by that part of it which yet remains entire, so that its Height must have been very considerable to have preserved a Proportion. It is made in the Form of the
Venetian Campanello,
and is probably the high Tower mentioned by
Pliny, Lib.
36.
cap.
12.
On the side of the Town, where the Sea is supposed to have lain formerly, there is now a little Church called the
Rotonda.
At the Entrance of it are Two Stones, the one with an Inscription in
Gothic
Characters, that has nothing in it remarkable; the other is a square Piece of Marble, that by the Inscription appears ancient, and by the Ornaments about it shows it self to have been a little Pagan Monument of Two Persons who were Shipwreck'd, perhaps in the Place where now their Monument stands. The first Line and a half, that tells their Names and Families in Prose, is not legible; the rest runs thus,
—Raniae domus hos produxit alumnos,
Libertatis opus contulit una Dies.
Naufraga mors pariter rapuit quos junxerat antè,
Et duplices luctus mors periniqua dedit.
Both with the same Indulgent Master bless'd,
On the same Day their Liberty possess'd:
A Shipwreck slew whom it had join'd before,
And left their common Friends their Fun'rals to deplore.
There is a Turn in the Third Verse that we lose, by not knowing the Circumstances of their Story. It was the
Naufraga mors
which destroyed them, as it had formerly united them; what this Union was is expressed in the preceding Verse, by their both having been made Free-men on the same Day. If therefore we suppose they had been formerly Shipwreck'd with their Master, and that he made them Free at the same time, the
Epigram
is unriddled. Nor is this Interpretation perhaps so forc'd as it may seem at first sight, since it was the Custom of the Masters, a little before their Death, to give their Slaves their Freedom, if they had deserv'd it at their Hands; and it is natural enough to suppose one, involved in a common Shipwreck, would give such of his Slaves their Liberty, as should have the good Luck to save themselves. The Chancel of this Church is vaulted with a single Stone of Four Foot in Thickness, and a Hundred and Fourteen in Circumference. There stood on the Outside of this little Cupola a great Tomb of
Porphyry,
and the Statues of the Twelve Apostles; but in the War that
Louis
the Twelfth made on
Italy,
the Tomb was broken in pieces by a Cannon-Ball. It was, perhaps, the same Blow that made the Flaw in the Cupola, tho' the Inhabitants say it was crack'd by Thunder, that destroyed a Son of one of their
Gothic
Princes, who had taken Shelter under it, as having been foretold what kind of Death he was to die. I asked an Abbot, that was in the Church, what was the Name of this
Gothic
Prince, who, after a little Recollection, answered me, That he could not tell precisely, but that he thought it was one
Julius Caesar.
There is a Convent of
Theatins,
where they show a little Window in the Church, thro' which the Holy Ghost is said to have entered in the Shape of a Dove, and to have settled on one of the Candidates for the Bishoprick. The Dove is represented in the Window, and in several Places of the Church, and is in great Reputation all over
Italy.
I should not indeed think it impossible for a Pigeon to fly in accidentally thro' the Roof, where they still keep the Hole open, and by its fluttering over such a particular Place, to give so superstitious an Assembly an Occasion of favouring a Competitor, especially if he had many Friends among the Electors that would make a politick Use of such an Accident: But they pretend the Miracle has happened more than once. Among the Pictures of several famous Men of their Order, there is one with this Inscription.
P. D. Thomas Gouldvellus Ep. Asis Tridno concilio contra Haereticos, & in Anglia contra Elisabet. Fidei Confessor conspicuus.
The Statue of
Alexander
the Seventh stands in the large Square of the Town; it is cast in Brass, and has the Posture that is always given the Figure of a Pope; an Arm extended, and blessing the People. In another Square on a high Pillar is set the Statue of the blessed Virgin, arrayed like a Queen, with a Scepter in her Hand, and a Crown upon her Head; for having delivered the Town from a raging Pestilence. The Custom of Crowning the Holy Virgin is so much in Vogue among the
Italians,
that one often sees in their Churches a little Tinsel Crown, or perhaps a Circle of Stars glew'd to the Canvas over the Head of the Figure, which sometimes spoils a good Picture. In the Convent of
Benedictins
I saw Three huge Chests of Marble, with no Inscription on them that I could find, tho' they are said to contain the Ashes of
Valentinian,
Honorius,
and his Sister
Placidia.
From
Ravenna
I came to
Rimini,
having passed the
Rubicon
by the way. This River is not so very contemptible as it is generally represented, and was much increased by the melting of the Snows when
Caesar
passed it, according to
Lucan.
Fonte cadit modico parvisque impellitur undis
Puniceus Rubicon, cum fervida canduit aestas:
Perque imas serpit valles, & Gallica certus
Limes ab Ausoniis disterminat arva colonis:
Tunc vires praebebat hyems, atque auxerat undas
Tertia jam gravido pluvialis Cynthia cornu,
Et madidis Euri resolutae flatibus Alpes.
L. 1.
While Summer lasts, the Streams of
Rubicon
From their spent Source in a small Current run,
Hid in the winding Vales they gently glide,
And
Italy
from neighb'ring
Gaul
divide;
But now, with Winter Storms encreas'd, they rose,
By wat'ry Moons produc'd, and
Alpine
Snows,
That melting on the hoary Mountains lay,
And in warm Eastern Winds dissolv'd away.
This River is now called
Pisatello.
Rimini
has nothing modern to boast of. Its Antiquities are as follow: A Marble Bridge of Five Arches, built by
Augustus
and
Tiberius,
for the Inscription is still legible, tho' not rightly transcrib'd by
Gruter.
A Triumphal Arch raised by
Augustus,
which makes a Noble Gate to the Town, tho' part of it is ruined. The Ruins of an Amphitheater. The
Suggestum,
on which it is said that
Julius Caesar
harangued his Army after having passed the
Rubicon.
I must confess I can by no means look on this last as Authentick: It is built of hewn Stone, like the Pedestal of a Pillar, but something higher than ordinary, and is but just broad enough for one Man to stand upon it. On the contrary, the ancient
Suggestums,
as I have often observed on Medals, as well as on
Constantine
's Arch, were made of Wood like a little kind of Stage, for the Heads of the Nails are sometimes represented, that are supposed to have fastened the Boards together. We often see on them the Emperor, and Two or Three General Officers, sometimes sitting and sometimes standing, as they made Speeches, or distributed a Congiary to the Soldiers or People. They were probably always in readiness, and carried among the Baggage of the Army, whereas this at
Rimini
must have been built on the Place, and required some time before it could be finished.
IMPERATOR VIII S C
LIBERALITAS AVG S C
ADLOCVT AVG
If the Observation I have here made is just, it may serve as a Confirmation to the Learned
Fabretti
's Conjecture on
Trajan
's Pillar; who supposes, I think, with a great deal of Reason, that the Camps, Intrenchments, and other Works of the same Nature, which are cut out as if they had been made of Brick or hewn Stone, were in reality only of Earth, Turf, or the like Materials; for there are on the Pillar some of those
Suggestums
which are figured like those on Medals, with only this difference, that they seem built of Brick or Free-Stone. At Twelve Miles distance from
Rimini
stands the little Republick of St.
Marino,
which I could not forbear visiting, tho' it lyes out of the common Tour of Travellers, and has excessively bad Ways to it. I shall here give a particular Account of it, because I know of no Body else that as done it. One may, at least, have the Pleasure of seeing in it something more singular than can be found in great Governments, and form from it an Idea of
Venico
in its first Beginnings, when it had only a few Heaps of Earth for its Dominions, or of
Rome
it self, when it had as yet cover'd but one of its Seven Hills.
THE REPUBLICK OF St. MARINO.
T HE Town and Republick of St.
Marino
stands on the Top of a very high and craggy Mountain. It is generally hid among the Clouds, and lay under Snow when I saw it, tho' it was clear and warm Weather in all the Country about it. There is not a Spring or Fountain, that I could hear of, in the whole Dominions, but they are always well provided with huge Cisterns and Reservoirs of Rain and Snow-Water. The Wine that grows on the sides of their Mountain is extraordinary good, and I think much better than any I met with on the cold side of the
Appenines.
This puts me in Mind of their Cellars, which have most of 'em a natural Advantage that renders 'em extreamly cool in the hottest Seasons, for they have generally in the Sides of them deep Holes that run into the Hollows of the Hill, from whence there constantly issues a breathing kind of Vapour, so very chilling in the Summer time, that a Man can scarce suffer his Hand in the Wind of it.
This Mountain, and a few neighbouring Hillocks that lye scatter'd about the Bottom of it, is the whole Circuit of these Dominions. They have, what they call, Three Castles, Three Convents, and Five Churches, and can reckon about Five Thousand Souls in their Community. The Inhabitants as well as the Historians, who mention this little Republick, give the following Account of its Original. St.
Marino
was its Founder, a
Dalmatian
by Birth, and by Trade a Mason. He was employed above Thirteen Hundred Years ago in the Reparation of
Rimini,
and, after he had finish'd his Work, retired to this solitary Mountain, as finding it very proper for the Life of a Hermit, which he led in the greatest Rigours and Austerities of Religion. He had not been long here before he wrought a reputed Miracle, which, join'd with his extraordinary Sanctity, gained him so great an Esteem, that the Princess of the Country made him a Present of the Mountain to dispose of it at his own Discretion. His Reputation quickly Peopled it, and gave Rise to the Republick which calls it self after his Name. So that the Common-wealth of
Marino
may boast at least of a nobler Original than that of
Rome,
the one having been at first an
Asylum
for Robbers and Murderers, and the other a Resort of Persons eminent for their Piety and Devotion. The best of their Churches is Dedicated to the Saint, and holds his Ashes. His Statue stands over the high Altar, with the Figure of a Mountain in its Hands, crown'd with Three Castles, which is likewise the Arms of the Common-wealth. They attribute to his Protection the long Duration of their State, and look on him as the greatest Saint next the Blessed Virgin. I saw in their Statute-Book a Law against such as speak disrespectfully of him, who are to be punished in the same manner as those who are Convicted of Blasphemy.
This petty Republick has now lasted Thirteen hundred Years, while all the other States of
Italy
have several times changed their Masters and Forms of Government. Their whole History is compris'd in Two Purchases, which they made of a neighbouring Prince, and in a War in which they assisted the Pope against a Lord of
Rimini.
In the Year 1100 they bought a Castle in the Neighbourhood, as they did another in the Year 1170. The Papers of the Conditions are preserv'd in their Archives, where 'tis very remarkable that the Name of the Agent for the Common-wealth, of the Seller, of the Notary, and the Witnesses, are the same in both the Instruments, tho' drawn up at Seventy Years distance from each other. Nor can it be any Mistake in the Date, because the Popes and Emperors Names, with the Year of their respective Reigns, are both punctually set down. About 290 Years after this they assisted Pope
Pius
the Second against one of the
Malatesta's,
who was then Lord of
Rimini
; and when they had helped to conquer him, received from the Pope, as a Reward for their Assistance, Four little Castles. This they represent as the flourishing Time of the Common-wealth, when their Dominions reach'd half way up a neighbouring Hill; but at present they are reduced to their old Extent. They would probably sell their Liberty as dear as they could to any that attacked them; for there is but one Road by which to climb up to them, and they have a very severe Law against any of their own Body that enters the Town by another Path, lest any new one should be worn on the Sides of their Mountain. All that are capable of bearing Arms are exercis'd, and ready at a Moment's Call.
The Sovereign Power of the Republick was lodg'd originally in what they call the
Arengo,
a great Council in which every House had its Representative. But because they found too much Confusion in such a Multitude of Statesmen, they devolv'd their whole Authority into the Hands of the Council of Sixty. The
Arengo
however is still called together in Cases of extraordinary Importance; and if, after due Summons, any Member absents himself, he is to be Fin'd to the value of about a Penny
English,
which the Statute says he shall pay,
Sine aliquâ diminutione aut gratiâ.
In the ordinary Course of Government, the Council of Sixty (which, notwithstanding the Name; consists but of Forty Persons) has in its Hands the Administration of Affairs, and is made up half out of the Noble Families, and half out of the
Plebeian.
They decide all by Baloting, are not admitted 'till Five and Twenty Years old, and chuse the Officers of the Common-wealth.
Thus far they agree with the Great Council of
Venice,
but their Power is much more extended; for no Sentence can stand that is not confirmed by Two Thirds of this Council. Besides, that no Son can be admitted into it during the Life of his Father, nor Two be in it of the same Family, nor any enter but by Election. The chief Officers of the Common-wealth are the Two
Capitaneos,
who have such a Power as the old
Roman
Consuls had, but are chosen every Six Months. I talk'd with some that had been
Capitaneos
Six or Seven times, tho' the Office is never to be continu'd to the same Persons twice successively. The Third Officer is the Commissary, who judges in all Civil and Criminal Matters. But because the many Alliances, Friendships, and Intermarriages, as well as the Personal Feuds and Animosities that happen among so small a People might obstruct the Course of Justice, if one of their own Number had the Distribution of it; they have always a Foreigner for this Employ, whom they chuse for Three Years, and maintain out of the Publick Stock. He must be a Doctor of Law, and a Man of known Integrity. He is join'd in Commission with the
Capitaneos,
and acts something like the Recorder of
London
under the Lord Mayor. The Common-wealth of
Genoa
was forc'd to make use of a foreign Judge for many Years, whilst their Republick was torn into the Divisions of
Guelphs
and
Gibelines.
The Fourth Man in the State is the Physician, who must likewise be a Stranger, and is maintain'd by a publick Salary. He is oblig'd to keep a Horse, to visit the Sick, and to inspect all Drugs that are imported. He must be at least Thirty Five Years old, a Doctor of the Faculty, and eminent for his Religion and Honesty; that his Rashness or Ignorance may not unpeople the Common-wealth. And that they may not suffer long under any bad Choice, he is elected only for Three Years. The present Physician is a very understanding Man, and well read in our Countrymen,
Harvey, Willis, Sydenham,
&c. He has been continu'd for some time among 'em, and they say the Common-wealth thrives under his Hands. Another Person, who makes no ordinary Figure in the Republick, is the School-Master. I scarce met with any in the Place that had not some Tincture of Learning. I had the Perusal of a
Latin
Book in
Folio,
Entituled,
Statuta Illustrissimae Reipublicae Sancti Marini,
Printed at
Rimini
by Order of the Common-wealth. The Chapter on the publick Ministers says, that when an Ambassador is dispatch'd from the Republick to any Foreign State he shall be allow'd, out of the Treasury, to the Value of a Shilling a Day. The People are esteem'd very honest and rigorous in the Execution of Justice, and seem to live more happy and contented among their Rocks and Snows, than others of the
Italians
do in the pleasantest Vallies of the World. Nothing indeed can be a greater Instance of the natural Love that Mankind has for Liberty, and of their Aversion to an Arbitrary Government, than such a Savage Mountain cover'd with People, and the
Campania
of
Rome,
which lyes in the same Country, almost destitute of Inhabitants.
Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, Loretto, &c. To ROME.
F ROM
Rimini
to
Loretto
the Towns of Note are
Pesaro,
Fano, Senigallia
and
Ancona. Fano
received its Name from the Fane or Temple of Fortune that stood in it. One may still see the Triumphal Arch erected there to
Augustus
: It is indeed very much defac'd by Time, but the Plan of it, as it stood entire with all its Inscriptions, is neatly cut upon the Wall of a neighbouring Building. In each of these Towns is a beautiful Marble Fountain, where the Water runs continually thro' several little Spouts, which looks very refreshing in these hot Countries, and gives a great Coolness to the Air about them. That of
Pesaro
is handsomly designed.
Ancona
is much the most considerable of these Towns. It stands on a Promontory, and looks more beautiful at a distance than when you are in it. The Port was made by
Trajan,
for which he has a Triumphal Arch erected to him by the Sea-side. The Marble of this Arch looks very white and fresh, as being exposed to the Winds and Salt Sea-Vapours, that by continually fretting it preseves it self from that mouldy Colour, which others of the same Materials have contracted. Tho' the
Italians
and Voyage-Writers call these of
Rimini, Fano,
and
Ancona
Triumphal Arches, there was probably some Distinction made among the
Romans
between such Honorary Arches erected to Emperors, and those that were rais'd to them on the Account of a Victory, which are properly Triumphal Arches. This at
Ancona
was an Instance of Gratitude to
Trajan
for the Port he had made there, as the two others I have mention'd were probably for some Reason of the same Nature. One may however observe the Wisdom of the ancient
Romans,
who to encourage their Emperors in their Inclination of doing good to their Country, gave the same Honours to the great Actions of Peace, which turn'd to the Advantage of the Publick, as to those of War. This is very remarkable in the Medals that were stamp'd on the same Occasions. I remember to have seen one of
Galba
's with a Triumphal Arch on the Reverse, that was made by the Senate's Order for his having remitted a Tax.
R. XXXX. REMISSA. S. C.
The Medal which was made for
Trajan
in Remembrance of his Benificence to
Ancona
is very common. The Reverse has on it a Port with a Chain running a-cross it, and betwixt them both a Boat with this Inscription,
S. P. Q. R. OPTIMO PRINCIPI. S. C.
XXXX REMISSA S C
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCEPI S C
I know
Fabretti
would fain ascribe this Medal to another Occasion, but
Bellorio,
in his Additions to
Angeloni,
has sufficiently refuted all he says on that Subject.
At
Loretto
I enquir'd for the
English
Jesuits Lodgings, and on the Stair-Case that leads to 'em I saw several Pictures of such as had been Executed in
England,
as the Two
Garnets, Old-Corn,
and others to the Number of Thirty. Whatever were their Crimes, the Inscription says they suffer'd for their Religion, and some of 'em are represented lying under such Tortures as are not in use among us. The Martyrs of 1679 are set by themselves, with a Knife stuck in the Bosom of each Figure, to signify that they were Quarter'd.
The Riches in the Holy House and Treasury are surprizingly great, and as much surpass'd my Expectation as other Sights have generally fallen short of it. Silver can scarce find an Admission, and Gold it self looks but poorly among such an incredible number of precious Stones. There will be, in a few Ages more, the Jewels of the greatest Value in
Europe,
if the Devotion of its Princes continues in its present Fervour. The last Offering was made by the Queen Dowager of
Poland,
and cost her 18000 Crowns. Some have wonder'd that the
Turk
never attacks this Treasury, since it lyes so near the Sea-shore, and is so weakly guarded. But besides that he has attempted it formerly with no Success, it is certain the
Venetians
keep too watchful an Eye over his Motions at present, and would never suffer him to enter the Adriatic. It would indeed be an easie thing for a Christian Prince to surprize it, who has Ships still passing to and fro without Suspicion, especially if he had a Party in the Town, disguis'd like Pilgrims, to secure a Gate for him; for there have been sometimes to the Number of 100000 in a Day's time, as it is generally reported. But 'tis probable the Veneration for the Holy House, and the Horror of an Action that would be resented by all the Catholick Princes of
Europe,
will be as great a Security to the Place as the strongest Fortification. It is indeed an amazing thing to see such a prodigious Quantity of Riches lye dead, and untouch'd in the midst of so much Poverty and Misery as reign on all sides of 'em. There is no question, however, but the Pope would make use of these Treasures in case of any great Calamity that should endanger the Holy See; as an unfortunate War with the
Turk,
or a powerful League among the Protestants. For I can't but look on those vast Heaps of Wealth, that are amass'd together in so many Religious Places of
Italy,
as the hidden Reserves and Magazines of the Church, that she would open on any pressing Occasion for her last Defence and Preservation. If these Riches were all turn'd into current Coin, and employ'd in Commerce, they would make
Italy
the most flourishing Country in
Europe.
The Case of the Holy House is nobly design'd, and executed by the great Masters of
Italy,
that flourish'd about a hundred Years ago. The Statues of the
Sibyls
are very finely wrought, each of 'em in a different Air and Posture, as are likewise those of the Prophets underneath 'em. The Roof of the Treasury is painted with the same kind of Device. There stands at the upper End of it a large Crucifix very much esteem'd, the Figure of our Saviour represents him in his last Agonies of Death, and amidst all the Ghastliness of the Visage has something in it very amiable. The Gates of the Church are said to be of
Corinthian
Brass, with many Scripture Stories rising on 'em in
Basso Relievo.
The Pope's Statue, and the Fountain by it, would make a noble Show in a Place less beautified with so many other Productions of Art. The Spicery, the Cellar and its Furniture, the great Revenues of the Convent, with the Story of the Holy House, are too well known to be here insisted upon.
Whoever were the first Inventors of this Imposture, they seem to have taken the hint of it from the Veneration that the old
Romans
paid to the Cottage of
Romulus,
which stood on Mount
Capitol,
and was repair'd from time to time as it fell to decay.
Virgil
has given a pretty Image of this little thatch'd Palace, that represents it standing in
Manlius
's Time, 327 Years after the Death of
Romulus.
In summo custos Tarpeiae Manlius areis
Stabat pro templo, & capitolia celsa tenebat:
Romuleoque recens horrebat Regia culmo.
Aen. L. 8.
High on a Rock Heroick
Manlius
stood
To guard the Temple, and the Temple's God:
Then
Rome
was poor, and there you might behold
The Palace thatch'd with Straw.
Dryden.
From
Loretto,
in my way to
Rome,
I pass'd thro'
Recanati, Macorata, Tolentino
and
Foligni.
In the last there is a Convent of Nuns call'd
la Contessa,
that has in the Church an incomparable
Madonna
of
Raphel.
At
Spoletto,
the next Town on the Road, are some Antiquities. The most remarkable is an Aquaeduct of a
Gothic
Structure, that conveys the Water from Mount St.
Francis
to
Spoletto,
which is not to be equall'd for its height by any other in
Europe.
They reckon from the Foundation of the lowest Arch to the Top of it 230 Yards. In my way hence to
Terni
I saw the River
Clitumnus,
celebrated by so many of the Poets for a particular Quality in its Waters of making Cattle white that drink of it. The Inhabitants of that Country have still the same Opinion of it, as I found upon Enquiry, and have a great many Oxen of a whitish Colour to confirm 'em in it. It is probable this Breed was first settled in the Country, and continuing still the same Species, has made the Inhabitants impute it to a wrong Cause; tho' they may as well fancy their Hogs turn black for some Reason of the same Nature, because there are none in
Italy
of any other Breed. The River
Clitumnus,
and
Mevania
that stood on the Banks of it, are famous for the Herds of Victims with which they furnish'd all
Italy.
Qua formosa suo Clitumnus flumina luco
Integit, & Niveos abluit unda boves.
Prop. L. 2.
Hinc Albi Clitumne greges, & maxima Taurus,
Victima, saepe tuo perfusi flumine saero
Romanos ad Templa Deûm duxere triumphos.
Geor. 2. Virg.
There flows
Clitumnus
through the flow'ry Plain;
Whose Waves, for Triumphs after prosp'rous War,
The Victim Ox, and Snowy Sheep prepare.
—Patulis Clitumnus in Arvis
Candentes gelido profundit flumine Tauros.
Sil Ital. L. 2.
—Tauriferis ubi se Mevania campis
Explicat—
Luc. L. 1.
—Atque ubi latis
Projecta in campis nebulas exhalat inertes,
Et sedet ingentem pascens Mevania taurum,
Dona Jovi—
Id. L. 6.
—Nec si vacuet Mevania valles,
Aut praestent niveos Clitumna novalia Tauros.
Sufficiam—
Stat. Syl. L. 1.
Pinguior Hispullâ traheretur taurus & ipsâ
Mole piger, non finitimâ nutritus in herbâ,
Laeta sed ostendens Clitumni pascua sanguis
Iret, & a grandi cervix ferienda Ministro.
Juv. Sat. 12.
A Bull high fed should fall the Sacrifice,
One of
Hispulla
's huge prodigious Size.
Not one of those our neighb'ring Pastures feed,
But of
Clitumnus
whitest Sacred Breed:
The lively Tincture of whose gushing Blood
Should clearly prove the Richness of his Food;
A Neck so strong, so large, as would command
The speeding Blow of some uncommon Hand.
Mr. Congreve.
I shall afterwards have occasion to quote
Claudian.
Terni
is the next Town in Course, formerly call'd
Interamna,
for the same Reason that a part of
Asia
was nam'd
Mesopotamia.
We enter at the Gate of the Three Monuments, so call'd because there stood near in a Monument erected to
Tacitus
the Historian, with two others to the Emperors
Tacitus
and
Florianus,
all of them Natives of the Place. These were a few Years ago Demolish'd by Thunder, and the Fragments of them are in the Hands of some Gentlemen of the Town. Near the Dome I was shown a square Marble, inserted in the Wall, with the following Inscription.
Saluti perpetuae Augustae
Libertatique Publicae Populi Romani
Genio municipi Anno post Interamnam Conditam. D. CC. IV.
Ad Cnejum Domitium
Ahenobarbum.—
Coss. providentiae Ti. Caesaris Augusti nati ad Aeternitatem Romani nominis sublato hoste perniciosissimo P. R. Faustus Titius Liberalis VI. vir iterum P. S. F. C.
that is,
pecunia sua fieri curavit.
This Stone was probably set up on occasion of the Fall of
Sejanus.
After the Name of
Ahenobarbus
there is a little Furrow in the Marble, but so smooth and well polish'd, that I should not have taken notice of it had not I seen
Coss.
at the end of it, by which it is plain there was once the Name of another Consul, which has been industriously razed out.
Lucias Aruncius Camillus Scribonianus
was Consul under the Reign of
Vid. Fast. Consul. Sicul.
Tiberius,
and was afterwards put to Death for a Conspiracy that he had form'd against the Emperor
Claudius
; at which time it was order'd that his Name and Consulate should be effaced out of all publick Registers and Inscriptions. It is not therefore improbable, that it was this long Name which fill'd up the Gap I am now mentioning. There are near this Monument the Ruins of an ancient Theatre, with some of the Caves entire. I saw among the Ruins an old Heathen Altar, with this Particularity in it, that it is hollow'd, like a Dish, at one End; but it was not this End on which the Sacrifice was laid, as one may guess from the Make of the Festoon, that runs round the Altar, and is inverted when the Hollow stands uppermost. In the same Yard, among the Rubbish of the Theatre, lye Two Pillars, the one of Granate, and the other of a very beautiful Marble. I went out of my way to see the Famous
Cascade
about Three Miles from
Terni.
It it form'd by the Fall of the River
Velino,
which
Virgil
mentions in the Seventh
Aeneid—Rosed rura Velini.
The Channel of this River lyes very high, and is shaded on all sides by a Green Forest, made up of several kinds of Trees that preserve their Verdure all the Year. The neighbouring Mountains are cover'd with them, and by reason of their height are more expos'd to the Dews and drizzling Rains than any of the adjacent Parts, which gives occasion to
Virgil
's
Rosea rura,
(Dewy Countries.) The River runs extreamly rapid before its Fall, and rushes down a Precipice of a Hundred Yards high. It throws it self into the Hollow of a Rock, which has probably been worn by such a constant Fall of Water. It is impossible to see the Bottom on which it breaks for the Thickness of the Mist that rises from it, which looks at a Distance like Clouds of Smoak ascending from some vast Furnace, and distils in perpetual Rains on all the Places that lye near it. I think there is something more astonishing in this
Cascade,
than in all the Water-Works of
Versailles,
and could not but wonder when I first saw it, that I had never met with it in any of the old Poets, especially in
Claudian,
who makes his Emperor
Honorius.
go out of his way to see the River
Nar
which runs just below it, and yet does not mention what would have been so great an Embellishment to his Poem. But at present I don't in the least question, notwithstanding the Opinion of some Learned Men to the contrary, that this is the Gulf thro' which
Virgil
's
Alecto
shoots her self into Hell: for the very Place, the great Reputation of it, the Fall of Waters, the Woods that encompass it, with the Smoak and Noise that arise from it, are all pointed at in the Description. Perhaps he would not mention the Name of the River, because he has done it in the Verses that precede. We may add to this, that the
Cascade
is not far off that part of
Italy
which has been call'd
Italiae Meditullium.
Est locus Italiae medio, sub montibus altis,
Nobilis, & famâ multis memoratus in oris,
Amsancti valles, densis hunc frondibus atrum
Urget utrinque latus nemoris, medioque fragosus
Dat sonitum saxis & torto vortice torrens:
Hic specus horrendum, & saevi spiracula Ditis
Monstrantur, ruptoque ingens Acheronte vorago
Pestiferas aperit fauces, queis condita Erinnys
Invisum Numen terras coelumque levabat.
Aen. 7.
In midst of
Italy,
well known to Fame,
There lies a Vale,
Amsanctus
is the Name,
Below the lofty Mounts: On either side
Thick Forests the forbidden Entrance hide:
Full in the Centre of the Sacred Wood
An Arm ariseth of the
Stygian
Flood;
Which falling from on high, with bellowing Sound
Whirls the black Waves and ratling Stones around.
Here
Pluto
pants for Breath from out his Cell,
And opens wide the grinning Jaws of Hell.
To this Infernal Gate the Fury flies,
Here hides her hated Head, and frees the lab'ring Skies.
Dryden.
It was indeed the most proper Place in the World for a Fury to make her
Exit,
after she had fill'd a Nation with Distractions and Alarms; and I believe every Reader's Imagination is pleas'd, when he sees the angry Goddess thus sinking, as it were, in a Tempest, and plunging herself into Hell, amidst such a Scene of Horror and Confusion.
The River
Velino,
after having found its way out from among the Rocks where it falls, runs into the
Nera.
The Channel of this last River is white with Rocks, and the Surface of it, for a long Space, cover'd with Froth and Bubbles; for it runs all along upon the Fret, and is still breaking against the Stones that oppose its Passage: So that for these Reasons, as well as for the Mixture of Sulphur in its Waters, it is very well describ'd by
Virgil,
in that Verse which mentions these Two Rivers in their old
Roman
Names.
Tartaream intendit vocem, quà protinus omne
Contremuit nemus, & sylvae into
ere profundae,
Audiit & longè Triviae lacus, audiit amnis
Sulphureâ Nar albus aquâ, fontesque Velini.
Aen. 7.
The Sacred Lake of
Trivia
from afar,
The
Veline
Fountains, and Sulphureous
Nar,
Shake at the Baleful Blast, the Signal of the War.
Dryden.
He makes the Sound of the Fury's Trumpet run up the
Nera
to the very Sources of
Velino,
which agrees extreamly well with the Situation of these Rivers. When
Virgil
has mark'd any particular Quality in a River, the other Poets seldom fail of Copying after him.
—Sulphureus Nar.
Auson.
—Narque albescentibus undis
In Tibrim properans—
Sil. It. L. 8.
—Et Nar vitiatus odoro
Sulfure—
Claud. de Pr. & Olyb. Cons.
—The Hoary
Nar
Corrupted with the Stench of Sulphur flows,
And into
Tiber
's Streams th' infected Current throws.
From this River our next Town on the Road receives the Name of
Narni.
I saw hereabouts nothing remarkable except
Augustus
's Bridge, that stands half a Mile from the Town, and is one of the stateliest Ruins in
Italy.
It has no Cement, and looks as firm as one entire Stone. There is an Arch of it unbroken, the broadest that I have ever seen, tho' by reason of its great height it does not appear so. The middle one was still much broader. They join together Two Mountains, and belong'd, without doubt, to the Bridge that
Martial
mentions, tho' Mr.
Ray
takes 'em to be the Remains of an ancient Aquaeduct.
Sed jam parce mihi, nec abutere Narnia Quinto,
Perpetuo liceat sic tibi ponte frui!
L. 7.
Preserve my better Part, and spare my Friend;
So,
Narni,
may thy Bridge for ever stand.
From
Narni
I went to
Otricoli,
a very mean little Village, that stands where the Castle of
Ocriculum
did formerly. I turn'd about half a Mile out of the Road to see the Ruins of the old
Ocriculum,
that lye near the Banks of the
Tiber.
There are still scatter'd Pillars and Pedestals, huge Pieces of Marble half bury'd in the Earth, Fragments of Towers, Subterraneous Vaults, Bathing Places, and the like Marks of its ancient Magnificence.
In my way to
Rome,
seeing a high Hill standing by it self in the
Campania,
I did not question but it had a
Classic
Name, and upon Enquiry found it to be Mount
Soracte.
The
Italians
at present call it, because its Name begins with an
S.
St.
Oreste.
The Fatigue of our crossing the
Appenines,
and of our whole Journey from
Loretto
to
Rome,
was very agreeably reliev'd by the Variety of Scenes we pass'd thro'. For not to mention the rude Prospect of Rocks rising one above another, of the deep Gutters worn in the Sides of 'em by Torrents of Rain and Snow-Water, or the long Channels of Sand winding about their Bottoms, that are sometimes filled with so many Rivers: We saw, in Six Days Travelling, the several Seasons of the Year in their Beauty and Perfection. We were sometimes Shivering on the Top of a bleak Mountain, and a little while after Basking in a warm Valley, covered with Violets and Almond-trees in Blossom, the Bees already swarming over 'em, tho' but in the Month of
February.
Sometimes our Road led us thro' Groves of Olives, or by Gardens of Oranges, or into several hollow Apartments among the Rocks and Mountains, that look like so many natural Green-Houses; as being always shaded with a great Variety of Trees and Shrubs that never lose their Verdure.
I shall say nothing of the
Via Flaminia,
which has been spoken of by most of the Voyage-Writers that have pass'd it, but shall set down
Claudian
's Account of the Journey that
Honorius
made from
Ravenna
to
Rome,
which lyes most of it in the fame Road that I have been describing.
—Antiquae muros egressa Ravennae
Signa movet, jamque or a Padi portusque relinquit
Flumineos, certis ubi legibus advena Nereus
Aestuat, & pronas puppes nunc amne Secundo
Nunc redeunte vehit, nudataque littora fluctu
Deserit, Oceani lunaribus aemula damnis;
Laetior hinc Fano recipit Fortuna vetusto,
Despiciturque vagus praeruptâ valle Metaurus,
An Highway made by
Vespasian,
like the
Grotto Oscuro
near
Naples.
Quà mons arte patens vivo se perforat Arcu,
Admisitque viam sectae per viscera rupis,
Exuperans delubra Jovis, saxoque minantes
Apenninigenis cultas pastoribus aras:
Quin & Clitumni sacras victoribus undas,
Candida quae Latiis praebent armenta triumphis
Visere cura fuit. Nec te miracula fontis
This Fountain not known.
Praetereunt: tacito passu quem si quis adiret,
Lentus erat: Si voce gradum majore citâsset,
Commistis fervebat aquis, cùmque omnibus una
Sit natura vadis, similes ut corporis umbras
Ostendant: haec sola novam jactantia sortem
Humanos properant imitari flumina mores.
Celsa dehinc patulum prospectans Narnia campum
Regali calcatur equo, rarique coloris
Non procul amnis adest, urbi qui nominis auctor
Ilice sub densâ sylvis arctatus opacis
Inter utrumque jugum tortis anfractibus albet.
Inde salutato libatis Tibride Nymphis,
Excipiunt arcus, operosaque semita, vastis.
Molibus, & quicquid tantae praemittitur urbi.
De 6. Cons. Hon.
They leave
Ravenna,
and the Mouths of
Po,
That all the Borders of the Town o'erflow;
And spreading round in one continu'd Lake,
A spacious hospitable Harbour make.
Hither the Seas at stated Times resort,
And shove the loaden Vessels into Port:
Then with a gentle Ebb retire again,
And render back their Cargo to the Main.
So the pale Moon the restless Ocean guides,
Driv'n to and fro by such submissive Tides.
Fair Fortune next, with Looks serene and kind,
Receives 'em, in her ancient Fane enshrin'd;
Then the high Hills they cross, and from below
In distant Murmurs hear
Metaurus
flow,
'Till to
Clitumno
's sacred Streams they come,
That send white Victims to Almighty
Rome
:
When her triumphant Sons in War succeed,
And slaughter'd Hecatombs around 'em bleed.
At
Narni
's lofty Seats arriv'd, from far
They view the Windings of the hoary
Nar
;
Through Rocks and Woods impetuously he glides,
While Froth and Foam the fretting Surface hides.
And now the Royal Guest, all Dangers pass'd,
Old
Tiber
and his Nymphs salutes at last;
The long laborious Pavement here he treads,
That to proud
Rome
th' admiring Nations leads:
While stately Vaults and tow'ring Piles appear,
And show the World's Metropolis is near.
Silius Italicus,
who has taken more Pains on the Geography of
Italy
than any other of the
Latin
Poets, has given a Catalogue of most of the Rivers that I saw in
Umbria,
or in the Borders of it. He has avoided a Fault (if it be really such) which
Macrobius
has objected to
Virgil,
of passing from one Place to another, without regarding their regular and natural Situation, in which
Homer
's Catalogues are observ'd to be much more methodical and exact than
Virgil
's.
—Cavis venientes montibus Umbri,
Hos Aefis Sapisque lavant, rapidasque sonanti
Vortice contorquens undas per saxa Metaurus.
Et lavat ingentem perfundens flamine sacro
Clitumnus taurum, Narque albescentibus undis
In Tibrim properans, Tineaeque inglorius humor,
Et Clanis, & Rubico, & Senonum de nomine Senon.
Sed pater ingenti medios illabitur amne
Albula, & immotâ perstringit moenia ripâ,
His urbes arva, & latis Mevania pratis,
Hispellum, & duro monti per saxa recumbens
Narnia,
&c.&
mdash;
Sil. It. L. 8.
Since I am got among the Poets, I shall end this Chapter with Two or Three Passages out of 'em, that I have omitted inserting in their proper Places.
Sit Cisterna mihi quam Vinea malo Ravennae,
Cùm possim multo vendere pluris Aquam.
Mar. L. 5.
Lodg'd at
Ravenna,
(Water sells so dear)
A Cistern to a Vineyard I prefer.
Callidus imposuit nuper mihi Caupo Ravennae:
Cum peterem mixtum, vendidit ille merum.
Id.
By a
Ravenna
Vintner once betray'd,
So much for Wine and Water mix'd I paid;
But when I thought the purchas'd Liquor mine,
The Rascal fobb'd me off with only Wine.
Stat fucare colus nec Sidone vilior Ancon,
Murice nec Tyrio.—
Sil. It. L. 8.
The Wool, when shaded with
Ancona
's Dye,
May with the proudest
Tyrian
Purple vie.
Fountain Water is still very scarce at
Ravenna,
and was probably much more so, when the Sea was within its Neighbourhood.
FROM ROME TO NAPLES.
U PON my Arrival at
Rome
I took a View of St.
Peters,
and the
Rotunda,
leaving the rest 'till my Return from
Naples,
when I should have time and leisure enough to consider what I saw. St.
Peters
seldom answers Expectation at first entering it, but enlarges it self on all Sides insensibly, and mends upon the Eye every Moment. The Proportions are so very well observ'd, that nothing appears to an Advantage, or distinguishes it self above the rest. It seems neither extreamly high, nor long, nor broad, because it is all of them in a just Equality. As on the contrary in our
Gothic
Cathedrals, the Narrowness of the Arch makes it rise in Height, or run out in Length; the Lowness often opens it in Breadth, or the Defectiveness of some other Particular makes any single Part appear in greater Perfection. Tho' every thing in this Church is admirable, the most astonishing Part of it is the Cupola. Upon my going to the Top of it, I was surpriz'd to find that the Dome, which we see in the Church, is not the same that one looks upon without Doors, the last of 'em being a kind of Case to the other, and the Stairs lying betwixt 'em both, by which one ascends into the Ball. Had there been only the outward Dome, it would not have shewn it self to an Advantage to those that are in the Church; or had there only been the inward one, it would scarce have been seen by those that are without; had they both been one solid Dome of so great a Thickness, the Pillars would have been too weak to have supported it. after having survey'd this Dome, I went to see the
Rotunda,
which is generally said to have been the Model of it. This Church is at present so much chang'd from the ancient
Pantheon,
as
Pliny
has describ'd it, that some have been inclin'd to think it is not the same Temple; but the Cavalier
Fontana
has abundantly satisfy'd the World in this Particular, and shewn how the ancient Figure, and Ornaments of the
Pantheon,
have been chang'd into what they are at present. This Author, who is now esteem'd the best of the
Roman
Architects, has lately written a Treatise on
Vespasian
's Amphitheater, which is not yet Printed.
After having seen these Two Master-pieces of Modern and Ancient Architecture, I have often consider'd with my self whether the ordinary Figure of the Heathen, or that of the Christian Temples be the most beautiful, and the most capable of Magnificence, and can't forbear thinking the Cross Figure more proper for such spacious Buildings than the
Rotund.
I must confess the Eye is better fill'd at first entering the
Rotund,
and takes in the whole Beauty and Magnificence of the Temple at one view. But such as are built in the Form of a Cross, give us a greater Variety of Noble Prospects. Nor is it easie to conceive a more glorious Show in Architecture, than what a Man meets with in St.
Peters,
when he stands under the Dome. If he looks upward he is astonish'd at the spacious Hollow of the Cupola, and has a Vault on every side of him, that makes one of the beautifullest
Vistas
that the Eye can possibly pass thro'. I know that such as are profess'd Admirers of the Ancients will find abundance of Chimerical Beauties, the Architects themselves never thought of, as one of the most Famous of the Moderns in that Art tells us, the Hole in the Roof of the
Rotunda
is so admirably contriv'd, that it makes those who are in the Temple look like Angels, by diffusing the Light equally on all sides of 'em.
In all the old High-ways, that lead from
Rome,
one sees several little Ruins on each side of 'em, that were formerly so many Sepulchres; for the ancient
Romans
generally bury'd their Dead near the great Roads.
Quorum Flaminiâ tegitur cinis atque Latinâ.
Juv. S. 1.
None, but some few of a very extraordinary Quality, having been interred within the Walls of the City.
Our Christian Epitaphs, that are to be seen only in Churches, or Church-Yards, begin often with a
Siste Viator-Viator precare salutem,
&c. probably in Imitation of the old
Roman
Inscriptions, that generally address'd themselves to the Travellers; as it was impossible for 'em to enter the City, or to go out of it without passing thro' one of these melancholly Roads, which for a great Length was nothing else but a Street of Funeral Monuments.
In my way from
Rome
to
Naples
I found nothing so remarkable as the Beauty of the Country, and the extream Poverty of its Inhabitants. It is indeed an amazing thing to see the present Desolation of
Italy,
when one considers what incredible Multitudes of People it abounded with during the Reigns of the
Roman
Emperors: And notwithstanding the Removal of the Imperial Seat, the Irruptions of the Barbarous Nations, the Civil Wars of this Country, with the Hardships of its several Governments, one can scarce imagine how so plentiful a Soil should become so miserably unpeopled in Comparison of what it once was. We may reckon, by a very moderate Computation, more Inhabitants in the
Campania
of Old
Rome,
than are now in all
Italy.
And if we could number up those prodigious Swarms that had settled themselves in every Part of this delighful Country, I question not but that they would amount to more than can be found, at present, in any Six Parts of
Europe
of the same Extent. This Desolation appears no where greater than in the Pope's Territories, and yet there are several Reasons would make a Man expect to see these Dominions the best regulated, and most flourishing of any other in
Europe.
Their Prince is generally a Man of Learning and Virtue, mature in Years and Experience, who has seldom any Vanity or Pleasure to gratify at his People's Expence, and is neither encumber'd with Wife, Children or Mistresses; not to mention the suppos'd Sanctity of his Character, which obliges him in a more particular manner to consult the Good and Happiness of Mankind. The Direction of Church and State are lodg'd entirely in his own Hands, so that his Government is naturally free from those Principles of Faction and Division which are mix'd in the very Composition of most others. His Subjects are always ready to fall in with his Designs, and are more at his Disposal than any others of the most absolute Government, as they have a greater Veneration for his Person, and not only court his Favour but his Blessing. His Country is extreamly fruitful, and has good Havens both for the Adriatic and Mediterranean, which is an Advantage peculiar to himself and the
Neapolitans
above the rest of the
Italians.
There is still a Benefit the Pope enjoys above all other Soveraigns, in drawing great Sums out of
Spain, Germany
and other Countries that belong to Foreign Princes, which one would fancy might be no small Ease to his own Subjects. We may here add, that there is no Place in
Europe
so much frequented by Strangers, whether they are such as come out of Curiosity, or such who are obliged to attend the Court of
Rome
on several Occasions, as are many of the Cardinals and Prelates, that bring considerable Sums into the Pope's Dominions. But notwithstanding all these promising Circumstances, and the long Peace that has reign'd so many years in
Italy,
there is not a more miserable People in
Europe
than the Pope's Subjects. His State is thin of Inhabitants, and a great Part of his Soil uncultivated. His Subjects are wretchedly poor and idle, and have neither sufficient Manufactures nor Traffick to employ 'em. These ill Effects may arise, in a great measure, out of the Arbitrariness of the Government, but I think they are chiefly to be ascrib'd to the very Genius of the
Roman
Catholick Religion, which here shews it self in its Perfection. It is not strange to find a Country half unpeopled, where so great a proportion of the Inhabitants of both Sexes is ty'd under such Vows of Chastity, and where at the same time an Inquisition forbids all Recruits out of any other Religion. Nor is it less easy to account for the great Poverty and Want that are to be met with in a Country which invites into it such Swarms of Vagabonds, under the Title of Pilgrims, and shuts up in Cloisters such an incredible Multitude of young and lusty Beggars, who, instead of encreasing the Common Stock by their Labour and Industry, lye as a dead Weight on their Fellow Subjects, and consume the Charity that ought to support the Sickly, Old and Decrepid. The many Hospitals, that are every where erected, serve rather to encourage Idleness in the People, than to set 'em at Work; not to mention the great Riches which lye useless in Churches and Religious Houses, with the Multitude of Festivals that must never be violated by Trade or Business. To speak truly, they are here so wholly taken up with Mens Souls, that they neglect the good of their Bodies; and when, to these natural Evils in the Government and Religion, there arises among 'em an Avaritious Pope, who is for making a Family, it is no wonder if the People sink under such a Complication of Distempers. Yet it is to this Humour of Nepotism that
Rome
owes its present Splendor and Magnificence, for it would have been impossible to have furnish'd out so many glorious Palaces with such a Profusion of Pictures, Statues, and the like Ornaments, had not the Riches of the People at several times fallen into the Hands of many different Families, and of particular Persons; as we may observe, tho' the Bulk of the
Roman
People was more rich and happy in the times of the Common-wealth, the City of
Rome
receiv'd all its Beauties and Embellishments under the Emperors. It is probable the
Campania
of
Rome,
as well as other Parts of the Pope's Territories, would be cultivated much better than it is, were there not such an Exorbitant Tax on Corn, which makes 'em plow up only such Spots of Ground as turn to the most Advantage: Whereas were the Money to be rais'd on Lands, with an Exception to some of the more barren Parts, that might be Tax-free for a certain Term of Years, every one would turn his Ground to the best Account, and in a little time perhaps bring more Money into the Pope's Treasury.
The greatest Pleasure I took in my Journey from
Rome
to
Naples
was in seeing the Fields, Towns, and Rivers that have been describ'd by so many
Classic
Authors, and have been the Scenes of so many great Actions; for this whole Road is extreamly barren of Curiosities. It is worth while to have an Eye on
Horace
's Voyage to
Brundisi,
when one passes this way; for by comparing his several Stages, and the Road he took, with those that are observ'd at present, we may have some Idea of the Changes that have been made in the Face of this Country since his Time. If we may guess at the common Trevelling of Persons of Quality, among the ancient
Romans,
from this Poet's Description of his Voyage, we may conclude they seldom went above Fourteen Miles a Day over the
Appian
Way, which was more us'd by the Noble
Romans
than any other in
Italy,
as it led to
Naples, Baïae,
and the most delightful Parts of the Nation. It is indeed very disagreeable to be carry'd in haste over this Pavement.
Minùs est gravis Appia tardis.
Hor.
Lucan
has describ'd the very Road from
Anxur
to
Rome,
that
Horace
took from
Rome
to
Anxur.
It is not indeed the ordinary Way at present, nor is it mark'd out by the same Places in both Poets.
Jamque & praecipites superaverat Anxuris arces,
Et qua
A Canal, the Marks of it still seen.
Pontinas via dividit uda paludes,
Quà sublime nemus, Scythicae quà regna Dianae;
Quàque iter est Latiis ad summam fascibus Albam.
Excelsâ de rupe procul jam conspicit urbem.
L. 3.
He now had conquer'd
Anxur
's steep Ascent,
And to
Pontina
's wat'ry Marshes went,
A long Canal the muddy Fenn divides,
And with a clear unsully'd Current glides;
Diana
's woody Realms he next invades,
And crossing through the consecrated Shades
Ascends high
Alba,
whence with new Delight
He sees the City rising to his Sight.
In my way to
Naples
I cross'd the Two most considerable Rivers of the
Campania Felice,
that were formerly call'd the
Liris
and
Vulturnus,
and are at present the
Garigliano
and
Vulturno.
The First of these Rivers has been deservedly celebrated by the
Latin
Poets for the Gentleness of its Course, as the other for its Rapidity and Noise.
—Rura quae Liris quietâ
Mordet aquâ, taciturnus Amnis.
H. Li. 1. Od. 30.
Liris—qui fonte quieto
Dissimulat cursum, & nullo mutabilis imbre
Perstringit tacitas gemmanti gurgite ripas.
Sil. It. L. 4.
—Miscentem flumina Lirim
Sulfureum, tacitisque vadis ad littora lapsum
Accolit Arpinas—
Id. L. 8
Where the smooth Streams of
Liris
stray,
And steal insensibly away.
The Warlike
Arpine
borders on the sides
Of the slow
Liris,
that in silence glides,
And in its tainted Stream the working Sulphur hides.
Vulturnusque rapax—
Cl. de Pr. & Ol. Con.
Vulturnasque celer—
Luc. L. 2. 28.
—Fluctuque sonorum
Vulturnum—
Sil. It. L. 8.
The rough
Vulturnus,
furious in its Course,
With rapid Streams divides the fruitful Grounds,
And from afar in hollow Murmurs sounds.
The Ruins of
Anxur
and old
Capua
mark out the pleasant Situation in which those Towns formerly stood. The first of them was planted on the Mountain, where we now see
Terracina,
and by reason of the Breezes that came off the Sea, and the Height of its Situation, was one of the Summer Retirements of the ancient
Romans.
O nemus, O fontes! solidumque madentis arenae
Littus, & aequoreis splendidus Anxur aquis!
Mar. L. 10.
Ye warbling Fountains, and ye shady Trees,
Where
Anxur
feels the cool refreshing Breeze
Blown off the Sea, and all the dewy Strand
Lyes cover'd with a smooth unsinking Sand!
Anxuris aequorei placidos Frontine recessus
Et propius Baïas littoreamque domum,
Et quod inhumanae Cancro fervente Cicadae
Non novere, nemus, flumineosque lacus
Dum colui,
&c.
—
Id.
On the cool Shore, near
Baja
's gentle Seats,
I lay retir'd in
Anxur
's soft Retreats.
Where Silver Lakes, with verdant Shadows crown'd,
Disperse a grateful Chilness all around;
The Grasshopper avoids th' untainted Air,
Nor in the midst of Summer ventures there.
Impositum Saxis latè candentibus Anxur.
Hor. S. 5. L. 1.
Monte procelloso Murranum miserat Anxur.
Sil. It. L. 4.
—Scopulosi verticis Anxur.
S. It. L. 4.
Capuae Luxum vide apud
Sil. It. L. 11.
Murranus
came from
Anxur
's show'ry Height,
With ragged Rocks, and stony Quarries white;
Seated on Hills—
I don't know whether it be worth while to take notice that the Figures, which are cut in the Rock near
Terracina,
encrease still in a Decimal Proportion as they come nearer the Bottom. If one of our Voyage-Writers, who passed this way more than once, had observed the Situation of these Figures, he would not have troubled himself with the Dissertation that he has made upon them.
Silius Italicus
has given us the Names of several Towns and Rivers in the
Campania Felice.
Jam verò quos dives opum, quos dives avorum,
Et toto dabat ad bellum Campania tractu;
Ductorum adventum vicinis Sedibus Osci
Servabant; Sinuessa tepens, fluctuque sonorum
Vulturnum, quasque evertere silentia, Amyclae,
Fundique et regnata Lamo Cajeta, domusque
Antiphatae compressa freto, stagnisque palustre
Linternum, et quondam fatorum conscia Cuma,
Illic Nuceriae, et Gaurus navalibus apta,
Prole Dicharchaeâ multo cum milite Graja
Illic Parthenope, et Paeno non pervia Nola.
Alliphe, et Clanio contemtae semper Acerrae.
Sarrastes etiam populos totasque videres
Sarni mitis opes: illic quos Sulphure pingues
Phlegraei legere sinus, Misenus et ardens
Ore gigantaeo sedes Ithacesia, Bajae,
Non Prochite, non ardentem sortita Tiphaea
Inarime, non antiqui saxosa Telonis
Insula, nec parvis aberat Calatia muris,
Surrentum, et pauper sulci Cerealis Avella,
In primis Capua, heu rebus servare Secundis
Inconsulta modum, et pravo peritura tumore.
L. 8.
NAPLES.
M Y First Days at
Naples
were taken up with the Sight of Processions, which are always very magnificent in the Holy-Week. It would be tedious to give an Account of the several Representations of our Saviour's Death and Resurrection, of the Figures of himself, the Blessed Virgin, and the Apostles, which are carry'd up and down on this Occasion, with the Cruel Penances that several inflict on themselves, and the Multitude of Ceremonies that attend these Solemnities. I saw, at the same time, a very splendid Procession for the Accession of the Duke of
Anjou
to the Crown of
Spain,
in which the Vice-Roy bore his Part at the Left Hand of Cardinal
Cantelmi.
To grace the Parade, they expos'd, at the same time, the Blood of St.
Januarius,
which liquefy'd at the approach of the Saint's Head, tho', as they say, it was hard congeal'd before. I had twice an Opportunity of seeing the Operation of this pretended Miracle, and must confess I think it so far, from being a real Miracle, that I look upon it as one of the most Bungling Tricks that I ever saw: Yet it is this that makes as great a Noise as any in the
Roman
Church, and that Monsieur
Paschal
has hinted at among the rest, in his Marks of the true Religion. The modern
Neapolitans
seem to have copy'd it out from one, which was shown in a Town of the Kingdom of
Naples,
as long ago as in
Horace
's Time.
—Dehinc Gnatia lymphis
Iratis extructa dedit risusque jocosque,
Dum flamma sine thura liquescere limine Sacro
Persuadere cupit: credat Judaeus apella,
Non ego—
Sat. 5. L. 1.
At
Gnatia
next arriv'd, we laugh'd to see
The superstitious Croud's Simplicity,
That in the sacred Temple needs would try
Without a Fire th' unheated Gums to fry;
Believe who will the Solemn Sham, not I.
One may see at least that the Heathen Priesthood had the same kind of Secret among them, of which the
Roman
Catholicks are now Masters.
I must confess, tho' I had liv'd above a Year in a
Roman
Catholick Country, I was surpriz'd to see many Ceremonies and Superstitions in
Naples,
that are not so much as thought of in
France.
But as it is certain there has been a kind of Secret Reformation made, tho' not publickly own'd, in the
Roman
Catholick Church, since the spreading of the Protestant Religion, so we find the several Nations are recover'd out of their Ignorance, in proportion as they converse more or less with those of the Reform'd Churches. For this Reason the
French
are much more enlighten'd than the
Spaniards
or
Italians,
on occasion of their frequent Controversies with the
Huguenots
; and we find many of the
Roman
Catholick Gentlemen of our own Country, who will not stick to laugh at the Superstitions they sometimes meet with in other Nations.
I shall not be particular in describing the Grandeur of the City of
Naples,
the Beauty of its Pavement, the Regularity of its Buildings, the Magnificence of its Churches and Convents, the Multitude of its Inhabitants, or the Delightfulness of its Situation, which so many others have done with a great deal of Leisure and Exactness. If a War should break out, the Town has reason to apprehend the exacting of a large Contribution, or a Bombardment. It has but Seven Gallies, a Mole, and Two little Castles, which are capable of hindering an Enemy's Approaches. Besides, that the Sea which lyes near it is not subject to Storms, has no sensible Flux and Reflux, and is so deep that a Vessel of Burden may come up to the very Mole. The Houses are flat Roof'd to walk upon, so that every Bomb that fell on them would take Effect.
Pictures, Statues, and Pieces of Antiquity are not so common at
Naples,
as one might expect in so great and ancient a City of
Italy
; for the Vice-Roys take care to send into
Spain
every thing that is valuable of this Nature. Two of their finest modern Statues are those of
Apollo
and
Minerva,
plac'd on each side of
Sannazarius
's Tomb. On the Face of this Monument, which is all of Marble, and very neatly wrought, is represented, in
Bas relief, Neptune
among the Satyrs, to show that this Poet was the Inventer of Piscatory Eclogues. I remember
Hugo Grotius
describes himself in one of his Poems, as the first that brought the Muses to the Sea-side, but he must be understood only of the Poets of his own Country. I here saw the Temple that
Sannazarius
mentions in his Invocation of the Blessed Virgin, at the beginning of his
De partu Virginis,
which was all rais'd at his own Expence.
—Niveis tibi si solennia templis
Serta damus; si mansuras tibi ponimus aras
Exciso in scopulo, fluctus unde aurea canos
Despiciens celso de culmine Mergilline
Attollit, nautisque procul venientibus offert.
Tu vatem ignarumque viae insuetumque labori
Diva mone—
L. 1.
Thou bright Celestial Goddess, if to Thee
An acceptable Temple I erect,
With fairest Flow'rs and freshest Garlands deck'd,
On tow'ring Rocks, whence
Mergillinè
spies
The ruffled Deep in Storms and Tempests rise;
Guide thou the Pious Poet, nor refuse
Thine own propitious Aid to his unpractis'd Muse.
There are several very delightful Prospects about
Naples,
especially from some of the Religious Houses; for one seldom finds in
Italy
a Spot of Ground more agreeable than ordinary, that is not cover'd with a Convent. The Cupola's of this City, tho' there are many of them, don't appear to the best Advantage when one surveys them at a distance, as being generally too high and narrow. The Marquis of
Medina Cidonia,
in his Vice-Royalty, made the Shell of a House, which he had not time to finish, that commands a View of the whole Bay, and would have been a very noble Building had he brought it to Perfection.
It stands so on the side of a Mountain that it would have had a Garden to every Story, by the help of a Bridge which was to have been laid over each Garden.
The Bay of
Naples
is the most delightful one that I ever saw. It lyes in almost a round Figure of about Thirty Miles in the Diameter. Three Parts of it are shelter'd with a noble Circuit of Woods and Mountains. The high Promontory of
Surrentum
divides it from the Bay of
Salernum.
Between the utmost Point of this Promontory, and the Isle of
Caprea,
the Sea enters by a Streight of about Three Miles wide. This Island stands as a vast Mole, which seems to have been planted there on purpose to break the Violence of the Waves that run into the Bay. It lyes longways, almost in a parallel Line to
Naples.
The excessive Height of its Rocks secures a great part of the Bay from Winds and Waves, which enter again between the other End of this Island and the Promontory of
Miseno.
The Bay of
Naples
is call'd the
Crater
by the old Geographers, probably from this its Resemblance to a round Bowl half fill'd with Liquor. Perhaps
Virgil,
who compos'd here a great part of his
Aeneids,
took from hence the Plan of that beautiful Harbour, which he has made in his First Book, for the
Libyan
Port is but the
Neapolitan
Bay in little.
Est in secessu longo locus. Insula Portum
Efficit objectu laterum, quibus omnis ab alto
Frangitur, inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos:
Hinc atque hinc vastae rupes geminique minantur
In coelum scopuli, quorum sub vertice latè
Aequora tuta silent, tum Silvis Scena coruscis.
Desuper, horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbrâ.
1. Aen.
Within a long Recess there lyes a Bay,
An Island shades it from the rouling Sea,
And forms a Port secure for Ships to ride.
Broke by the jutting Land on either side,
In double Streams the briny Waters glide,
Between Two Rows of Rocks: a
Sylvan
Scene
Appears above, and Groves for ever Green.
Dryden.
Naples
stands in the Bosom of this Bay, and has the pleasantest Situation in the World, tho', by reason of its Western Mountains, it wants an Advantage
Vitruvius
would have to the Front of his Palace, of seeing the Setting Sun.
One would wonder how the
Spaniards,
who have but very few Forces in the Kingdom of
Naples,
should be able to keep a People from Revolting, that has been famous for its Mutinies and Seditions in former Ages. But they have so well contriv'd it, that tho' the Subjects are miserably harass'd and oppress'd, the greatest of their Oppressors are those of their own Body. I shall not mention any thing of the Clergy, who are sufficiently reproached in most Itineraries for the universal Poverty that one meets with in this noble and plentiful Kingdom. A great Part of the People is in a State of Vassallage to the Barons, who are the harshest Tyrants in the World to those that are under them. The Vassals indeed are allow'd, and invited to bring in their Complaints and Appeals to the Vice-Roy, who, to foment Divisions, and gain the Hearts of the Populace, does not stick at Imprisoning and Chastising their Masters very severely on occasion. The Subjects of the Crown are notwithstanding much more rich and happy than the Vassals of the Barons. Insomuch that when the King has been upon the point of selling a Town to one of his Barons, the Inhabitants have rais'd the Sum upon themselves, and presented it to the King, that they might keep out of so insupportable a Slavery. Another way the
Spaniards
have taken to grind the
Neapolitans,
and yet to take off the
Odium
from themselves, has been by erecting several Courts of Justice, with a very small Pension for such as fit at the Head of them, so that they are tempted to take Bribes, keep Causes undecided, encourage Law-suits, and do all they can to fleece the People, that they may have wherewithal to support their own Dignity. It is incredible how great a Multitude of Retainers to the Law there are at
Naples.
It is commonly said, that when
Innocent
the Eleventh had desir'd the Marquis of
Carpio
to furnish him with Thirty Thousand Head of Swine, the Marquis answer'd him, that for his Swine he could not spare them, but if his Holiness had occasion for Thirty Thousand Lawyers he had them at his Service. These Gentlemen find a continual Employ for the fiery Temper of the
Neapolitans,
and hinder them from uniting in such common Friendships and Alliances as might endanger the Safety of the Government. There are very few Persons of Consideration who have not a Cause depending; for when a
Neapolitan
Cavalier has nothing else to do, he gravely shuts himself up in his Closet, and falls a tumbling over his Papers to see if he can start a Law Suit, and plague any of his Neighbours. So much is the Genius of this People chang'd since
Statius
's Time.
Nulla foro rabies, aut strictae Jurgia Legis,
Morum jura viris solum et sine fascibus Aequum.
Sil. L. 3.
By Love of Right and Native Justice led,
In the straight Paths of Equity they tread;
Nor know the Bar, nor fear the Judge's Frown,
Unpractis'd in the Wranglings of the Gown.
There is another Circumstance which makes the
Neapolitans,
in a very particular manner, the Oppressors of each other. The Gables of
Naples
are very high on Oil, Wine, Tobacco, and indeed on almost every thing that can be eaten, drank or worn. There would have been one on Fruit, had not
Massianello
's Rebellion abolish'd it, as it has probably put a stop to many others. What makes these Imposts more intolerable to the poorer sort, they are laid on all Butchers Meat, while at the same time the Fowl and Gibier are Tax free. Besides, all Meat being Taxed equally by the Pound, it happens that the Duty lyes heaviest on the coarser sorts, which are most likely to fall to the share of the common People, so that Beef perhaps pays a Third, and Veal a Tenth of its Price to the Government, a Pound of either sort having the same Tax fix'd on it. These Gabels are most of them at present in the Hands of private Men; for as the King of
Spain
has had occasion for Mony he has borrow'd it of the Rich
Neapolitans,
on Condition that they should receive the Interest out of such or such Gabels 'till he could repay them the Principal.
This he has repeated so often that at present there is scarce a single Gabel unmortgag'd; so that there is no Place in
Europe
which pays greater Taxes, and at the same time no Prince who draws less Advantage from them. In other Countries the People have the Satisfaction of seeing the Mony they give spent in the Necessities, Defence, or Ornament of their State, or at least in the Vanity or Pleasures of their Prince: but here most of it goes to the enriching of their Fellow-Subjects. If there was not so great a Plenty of every thing in
Naples
the People could not bear it. The
Spaniard
however reaps this Advantage from the present posture of Affairs, that the Murmurs of the Peeple are turn'd upon their own Countrymen, and what is more considerable, that almost all the Persons, of the greatest Wealth and Power in
Naples,
are engag'd by their own Interests to pay these Impositions chearfully, and to support the Government which has laid them on. For this Reason, tho' the poorer sort are for the Emperor, few of the Persons of Consequence can endure to think of a Change in their present Establishment; tho' there is no question but the King of
Spain
will Reform most of these Abuses, by breaking or retrenching the Power of the Barons, by cancelling several unnecessary Employs, or by ransoming or taking the Gabels into his own Hands. I have been told too, there is a Law of
Charles
the Fifth something like our Statute of Mort-main, which has laid dormant ever since his Time, and will probably have new Life put into it under the Reign of an active Prince. The Inhabitants of
Naples
have been always very notorious for leading a Life of Laziness and Pleasure, which I take to arise partly out of the wonderful Plenty of their Country, that does not make Labour so necessary to them, and partly out of the Temper of their Climate, that relaxes the Fibres of their Bodies, and disposes the People to such an idle indolent Humour. Whatever it proceeds from, we find they were formerly as famous for it as they are at present.
This was perhaps the Reason that the Ancients tell us one of the
Sirens
was bury'd in this City, which thence receiv'd the Name of
Parthenope.
—Improba Siren
Desida—
Hor. Sa. 3. L. 2.
Sloth, the deluding
Siren
of the Mind.
—Et in Otia natam
Parthenopen—
Ov. Met. L. 15.
—
Otiosa Neapolis.
H. Ep. 5.
Parthenope,
for idle Hours design'd,
To Luxury and Ease unbends the Mind.
Parthenope non dives opum, non spreta vigoris,
Nam molles Urbi ritus atque hospita Musis
Otia, et exemtum curis gravioribus aevum:
Sirenum dedit una suum et memorabile nomen
Parthenope muris Acheloïas, aequore cujus
Regnavere diu cantus, cum dulce per undas
Exitium miseris caneret non prospera Nautis.
Sil. It. L. 12.
Here wanton
Naples
crowns the happy Shore,
Nor vainly rich, nor despicably poor,
The Town in soft Solemnities delights,
And gentle Poets to her Arms invites;
The People, free from Cares, serene and gay,
Pass all their mild untroubled Hours away.
Parthenope
the rising City nam'd,
A
Siren,
for her Songs and Beauty fam'd,
That oft had drown'd among the neighb'ring Seas
The list'ning Wretch, and made Destruction please.
Has ego te sedes (nam nec mihi barbara Thrace
Nec Libye natale solum) transferre laboro:
Quas et mollis hyems et frigida temper at Aestas,
Quas imbelle fretum, torpentibus alluit undis:
Pax secura locis, et desidis Otia vitae,
Et nunquam turbata quies, somnique peracti:
Nulla foro rabies,
&c.
Stat. Sil. L. 3.
These are the gentle Seats that I propose;
For not cold
Scythia
's undissolving Snows,
Nor the parch'd
Libyan
Sands thy Husband bore,
But mild
Parthenope
's delightful Shore,
Where hush'd in Calms the bord'ring Ocean laves
Her silent Coast, and rolls in languid Waves;
Refreshing Winds the Summer's Heats asswage,
And kindly Warmth disarms the Winter's Rage;
Remov'd from Noise, and the tumultuos War,
Soft Sleep and downy Ease inhabit there,
And Dreams unbroken with intruding Care.
THE ANTIQUITIES AND Natural Curiosities That lye near the CITY of Naples.
A T about eight Miles Distance from
Naples
lyes a very noble Scene of Antiquities. What they call
Virgil
's Tomb is the first that one meets with on the Way thither. It is certain this Poet was bury'd at
Naples,
but I think it is almost as certain that his Tomb stood on the other side of the Town which looks towards
Vesuvio.
By this Tomb is the Entry into the Grotto of
Pausilypo.
The common People of
Naples
believe it to have been wrought by Magick, and that
Virgil
was the Magician; who is in greater Repute among the
Neapolitans
for having made the Grotto, than the
Aeneid.
If a Man would form to himself a just Idea of this Place, he must fancy a vast Rock undermin'd from one End to the other, and a Highway running thro' it, near as long and as broad as the Mall in St.
James
's Park. This Subterraneous Passage is much mended since
Seneca
gave so bad a Character of it. The Entry at both Ends is higher than the middle Parts of it, and sinks by degrees, to fling in more Light upon the rest. Towards the middle are Two large Funnels, bor'd thro' the Roof of the Grotto, to let in Light and fresh Air.
There are no where about the Mountain any vast Heaps of Stones, tho' it is certain the great Quantities of 'em that are dug out of the Rock could not easily conceal themselves, had they not probably been consum'd in the Moles and Buildings of
Naples.
This confirm'd me in a Conjecture which I made at the first sight of this Subterraneous Passage, that it was not at first design'd so much for a High-way as for a Quarry of Stone, but that the Inhabitants, finding a double Advantage by it, hew'd it into the Form we now see. Perhaps the same Design gave the Original to the
SibyL
's Grotto, considering the prodigious Multitude of Palaces that stood in its Neighbourhood.
I remember when I was at
Chateaudun
in
France
I met with a very curious Person, a Member of one of the
German
Universities. He had stay'd a Day or Two in the Town longer than ordinary, to take the Measures of several empty Spaces that had been cut in the Sides of a neighbouring Mountain. Some of 'em were supported with Pillars form'd out of the Rock, some were made in the Fashion of Galleries, and some not unlike Amphitheaters. The Gentleman had made to himself several ingenious Hypotheses concerning the use of these Subterraneous Apartments, and from thenee collected the vast magnificence and Luxury of the ancient
Chateaudunois.
But upon communicating his Thoughts on this Subject to one of the most Learned of the Place, he was not a little surpriz'd to hear that these stupendous Works of Art were only so many Quarries of Free-Stone, that had been wrought into different Figures, according as the Veins of it directed the Workmen.
About Five Miles from the Grotto of
Pausilypo
lye the Remains of
Puteoli
and
Bajae,
in a soft Air and a delicious Situation.
The Country about 'em, by reason of its vast Caverns and Subterraneous Fires, has been miserably torn in Pieces by Earthquakes, so that the whole Face of it is quite chang'd from what it was formerly. The Sea has overwhelm'd a Multitude of Palaces, which may be seen at the Bottom of the Water in a calm Day.
The
Lucrine
Lake is but a Puddle in Comparison of what it once was, its Springs having been sunk in an Earthquake, or stopp'd up by Mountains that have fallen upon 'em. The Lake of
Avernus,
formerly so famous for its Steams of Poison, is now plentifully stock'd with Fish and Fowl. Mount
Gaurus,
from one of the fruitfullest Parts in
Italy,
is become one of the most barren. Several Fields, which were laid out in beautiful Groves and Gardens, are now naked Plains, smoaking with Sulphur, or encumber'd with Hills that have been thrown up by Eruptions of Fire. The Works of Art lye in no less Disorder than those of Nature, for that which was once the most Beautiful Spot of
Ialy,
cover'd with Temples and Palaces, adorn'd by the greatest of the
Roman
Common-wealth, embelish'd by many of the
Roman
Emperors, and celebrated by the best of their Poets, has now nothing to show but the Ruins of its ancient Splendor, and a great Magnificence in Confusion.
The Mole of
Puteoli
has been mistaken by several Authors for
Caligula
's Bridge. They have all been led into this Error from the Make of it, because it stands on Arches. But to pass over the many Arguments that may be brought against this Opinion, I shall here take away the Foundation of it, by setting down an Inscription mention'd by
Julius Capitolinus
in the Life of
Antoninus Pius,
who was the Repairer of this Mole.
Imp. Caesari. Divi. Hadriano. filio. Divi. Trajani. Parthici. Nepoti. Divi. Nervae. pronepoti. T. Act Hadriano. Antonino. Aug. Pio.
&c.
quod super caetera beneficia ad hujus etiam tutelam portûs,
Pilarum
viginti
molem
cum sumptu
fornicum
reliquo ex Aeratio suo largitus est.
It would have been very difficult to have made such a Mole as this of
Puteli,
in a Place where they had not so natural a Commodity as the Earth of
Puzzuola,
which immediately hardens in the Water, and after a little lying in it looks rather like Stone than Mortar. It was this that gave the ancient
Romans
an Opportunity of making so many Encroachments on the Sea, and of laying the Foundations of their Villas and Palaces within the very Borders of it, as
L. 2. O. 18. L. 3. O. 1. L. 3. O. 24. Epist. L. 1.
Horace
has elegantly described it more than once.
About Four Years ago they dug up a great Piece of Marble near
Puzzuola,
with several Figures and Letters Engraven round it, which have given occasion to some Disputes among the Antiquaries.
Vid. Gronovium, Fa bretti, Bulifon,
&c.
But they all agree that it is the Pedestal of a Statue erected to
Tiberius
by the Fourteen Cities of
Asia,
which were flung down by an Earthquake; the same that, according to the Opinion of many Learned Men, happen'd at our Saviour's Crucifixion. They have found in the Letters, which are still legible, the Names of the several Cities, and discover in each Figure something particular to the City, of which it represents the Genius. There are two Medals of
Tiberius
stamp'd on the same Occasion with this Inscription to one of 'em,
Civitatibus Asiae Restitutis.
The Emperor is represented in both sitting, with a
Patera
in one Hand, and a Spear in the other.
CIVITATIBVS ASIAE RESTITVTIS
CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS
ON MAX TR POT XXXIII TI
It is probable this might have been the Posture of the Statue, which in all likelihood does not lye far from the Place where they took up the Pedestal; for they say there were other great Pieces of Marble near it, and several of 'em Inscrib'd, but that no Body would be at the Charges of bringing them to light. The Pedestal it self lay neglected in an open Field when I saw it. I shall not be particular on the Ruins of the Amphitheater, the ancient Reservoirs of Water, the
Sibyl
's Grotto, the
Centum Camerae,
the Sepulchre of
Agrippina Nero
's Mother, with several other Antiquities of less Note, that lye in the Neighbourhood of this Bay, and have been often describ'd by many others. I must confess, after having survey'd the Antiquities about
Naples
and
Rome,
I cannot but think that our Admiration of 'em does not so much arise out of their Greatness as Uncommonness.
There are indeed many extraordinary Ruins, but I believe a traveller would not be so much astonish'd at 'em, did he find any Works of the same kind in his own Country. Amphitheatres, Triumphal Arches, Baths, Grotto's, Catacombs, Rotunda's, Highways pav'd for so great a Length, Bridges of such an amazing Height, Subterraneous Buildings for the Reception of Rain and Snow-Water, are most of 'em at present out of Fashion, and only to be met with among the Antiquities of
Italy.
We are therefore immediately surpriz'd when we see any considerable Sums laid out in any thing of this Nature, tho' at the same time there is many a
Gothic
Cathedral in
England,
that has cost more Pains and Mony than several of these celebrated Works. Among the Ruins of the old Heathen Temples they show'd me what they call the Chamber of
Venus,
which stands a little behind her Temple. It is wholly dark, and has several Figures on the Cieling wrought in
Stucco,
that seem to represent Lust and Strength by the Emblems of naked
Jupiters
and
Gladiators, Tritons
and
Centaurs,
&c. so that one would guess it has formerly been the Scene of many lewd Mysteries. On the other side of
Naples
are the Catacombs. These must have been full of Stench and Loathsomness, if the dead Bodies that lay in 'em were left to rot in open Nitches, as an Eminent Author of our own Country Imagine's. But upon examining 'em I find they were each of 'em stop'd up: without doubt, as soon as the Corps was laid in it. For at the Mouth of the Nitch one always finds the Rock cut into little Channels, to fasten the Board or Marble that was to close it up, and I think I did not see one which had not still some Mortar sticking in it. In some I found pieces of Tiles that exactly tally'd with the Channel, and in others a little Wall of Bricks, that sometimes stopp'd up above a quarter of the Nitch, the rest having been broken down.
Proculus
's Sepulchre seems to have a kind of Mosaic Work on its Covering, for I observ'd at one End of it several little Pieces of Marble rang'd together after that manner. 'Tis probable they were adorn'd, more or less, according to the Quality of the Dead. One would indeed wonder to find such a Multitude of Nitches unstopp'd, and I can't imagine any Body should take the Pains to do it, who was not in Quest of some suppos'd Treasure.
Bajae
was the Winter Retreat of the old
Romans,
that being the proper Season to enjoy the
Bajani Soles,
and the
Mollis Lucrinus
; as on the contrary,
Tibur, Tusculum, Prenaeste, Alba, Cajeta,
Mons Circeius, Anxur,
and the like airy Mountains and Promontories were their Retirements during the Heats of Summer.
Dum nos blanda tenent jucundi Stagna Lucrini,
Et quae pumiceis fontibus antra calent,
Tu colis Argivi regnum Faustine coloni,
Vid. Hor. L. 2. Od. 6.
Quo te bis decimus ducit ab urbe lapis.
Horrida sed fervent Nemeaei pectora monstri:
Nec satis est Bajas igne calere suo.
Ergo Sacri fontes, & littora Sacra valete,
Nympharum pariter, Nereidumque domus
Herculeos colles gelidâ vos vincite brumâ,
Nunc Tiburtinis cedite frigoribus.
Mar. L. 1. Ep. 116.
While near the
Lucrine
Lake consum'd to Death
I draw the sultry Air, and gasp for Breath,
Where Steams of Sulphur raise a stifling Heat,
And through the Pores of the warm Pumice sweat;
You taste the cooling Breeze, where nearer home
The Twentieth Pillar marks the Mile from
Rome
:
And now the Sun to the bright Lion turns,
And
Baja
with redoubled Fury burns;
Then briny Seas and tasteful Springs farewel,
Where Fountain-Nymphs confus'd with
Nereids
dwell,
In Winter You may all the World despise,
But now 'tis
Tivoli
that bears the Prize.
The Natural Curiosities about
Naples
are as numerous and extraordinary as the Artificial. I shall set them down, as I have done the other, without any regard to their Situation. The Grotto
del Cani
is famous for the poisonous Steams which float within a Foot of its Surface. The Sides of the Grotto are mark'd with Green, as high as the Malignity of the Vapour reaches. The common Experiments are as follow: A Dog, that has his Nose held in the Vapour, loses all Signs of Life in a very little time; but if carry'd into the open Air, or thrown into a Neighbouring Lake, he immediately recovers, if he is not quite gone. A Torch, Snuff and all, goes out in a Moment when dipp'd into the Vapour. A Pistol cannot take Fire in it. I split a Reed, and laid in the Channel of it a Train of Gun-powder, so that one End of the Reed was above the Vapour, and the other at the Bottom of it; and I found, tho' the Steam was strong enough to hinder a Pistol from taking Fire in it, and to quench a lighted Torch, that it could not intercept the Train of Fire when it had once begun Flashing, nor hinder it from running to the very End. This Experiment I repeated twice or thrice, to see if I could quite dissipate the Vapour, which I did in so great a measure, that one might easily let off a Pistol in it. I observ'd how long a Dog was in Expiring the first time, and after his Recovery, and found no sensible difference. A Viper bore it Nine Minutes the first time we put it in, and Ten the Second. When we brought it out after the first Trial, it took such a vast quantity of Air into its Lungs, that it swell'd almost twice as big as before; and it was perhaps on this Stock of Air that it liv'd a Minute longer the second time. Doctor
Connor
made a Discourse in one of the Academies at
Rome
upon the Subject of this Grotto, which he has since Printed in
England.
He attributes the Death of Animals, and the Extinction of Lights, to a great Rarefaction of the Air, caus'd by the Heat and Eruption of the Steams. But how is it possible for these Steams, tho' in never so great quantity, to resist the Pressure of the whole Atmosphere? And as for the Heat, it is but very inconsiderable. However, to satisfie my self, I plac'd a thin Viol, well stopp'd up with Wax, within the Smoak of the Vapour, which would certainly have burst in an Air rarefy'd enough to kill a Dog, or quench a Torch, but nothing follow'd upon it. However, to take away all further Doubt, I borrow'd a Weather-glass, and so fix'd it in the Grotto, that the
Stagnum
was wholly cover'd with the Vapour, but I could not perceive the Quicksilver sunk after half an Hour's standing in it. This Vapour is generally suppos'd to be Sulphureous, tho' I can see no Reason for such a Supposition. He that dips his Hand in it finds no Smell that it leaves upon it; and tho' I put a whole Bundle of lighted Brimstone Matches to the Smoak, they all went out in an Instant, as if immers'd in Water. Whatever is the Composition of the Vapour, let it have but one Quality of being very Glewy or Viscous, and I believe it will mechanicaly solve all the
Phaenomena
of the Grotto. It's Unctuousness will make it heavy, and unfit for mounting higher than it does, unless the Heat of the Earth, which is just strong enough to agitate, and bear it up at a little distance from the Surface, were much greater than it is to rarifie and scatter it. It will be too gross and thick to keep the Lungs in play for any time, so that Animals will die in it sooner or later, as their Blood Circulates slower or faster. Fire will live in it no longer than in Water, because it wraps it self in the same manner about the Flame, and by its Continuity hinders any quantity of Air or Nitre from coming to its Succour. The Parts of it however are not so compact as those of Liquors, nor therefore tenacious enough to intercept the Fire that has once caught a Train of Gun-Powder, for which Reason they may be quite broken and dispers'd by the Repetition of this Experiment. There is an unctuous clammy Vapour that arises from the Stum of Grapes, when they lye mash'd together in the Vat, which puts out a Light when dipp'd into it, and perhaps would take away the Breath of weaker Animals, were it put to the Trial.
It would be endless to reckon up the different Baths, to be met with in a Country that so much abounds in Sulphur. There is scarce a Disease which has not one adapted to it. A Stranger is generally led into that they call
Cicero
's Bath, and several Voyage-Writers pretend there is a cold Vapour rising from the Bottom of it, which refreshes those who stoop into it. 'Tis true the Heat is much more supportable to one that stoops, than to one that stands upright, because the Steams of Sulphur gather in the Hollow of the Arch about a Man's Head, and are therefore much thicker and warmer in that Part than at the Bottom. The Three Lakes of
Agnano, Avernus,
and the
Lucrin,
have now nothing in them particular. The
Monte Novo
was thrown out by an Eruption of Fire, that happen'd in the Place where now the Mountain stands. The
Sulfatara
is very surprising to one who has not seen Mount
Vesuvio.
But there is nothing about
Naples,
nor indeed in any Part of
Italy,
which deserves our Admiration so much as this Mountain. I must confess the Idea I had of it, did not answer the real Image of the Place when I came to see it; I shall therefore give the Description of it as it then lay.
This Mountain stands at about Six
English
Miles distance from
Naples,
tho' by reason of its Height, it seems much nearer to those that survey it from the Town. In our Way to it we pass'd by what was one of those Rivers of burning Matter, that ran from it in a late Eruption. This looks at a distance like a new plow'd Land, but, as you come near it you see nothing but a long Heap of heavy disjointed Clods lying one upon another. There are innumerable Cavities and Interstices among the several Pieces, so that the Surface is all broken and irregular. Sometimes a great Fragment stands like a Rock above the rest, sometimes the whole Heap lyes in a kind of Channel, and in other Places has nothing like Banks to confine it, but rises Four or Five Foot high in the open Air, without spreading abroad on either side. This, I think, is a plain Demonstration that these Rivers were not as they are usually represented, so many Streams of running Matter; for how could a Liquid, that lay hardening by degrees, settle in such a furrow'd uncompact Surface? Were the River a Confusion of never so many different Bodies, if they had been all actually dissolved, they would at least have form'd one continu'd Crust, as we see the
Scorium
of Metals always gathers into a solid Piece, let it be compounded of a Thousand Heterogeneous Parts. I am apt to think therefore, that these huge unwiel'dy Lumps that now lye one upon another, as if thrown together by Accident, remain'd in the melted Matter rigid and unliquify'd, floating in it like Cakes of Ice in a River, and that, as the Fire and Ferment gradually abated, they adjusted themseves together as well as their irregular Figures would permit, and by this means fell into such an interrupted disorderly Heap, as we now find it. What was the melted Matter lyes at the Bottom out of sight. After having quitted the Side of this long Heap, which was once a Stream of Fire, we came to the Roots of the Mountain, and had a very troublesome March to gain the Top of it. It is cover'd on all Sides with a kind of burnt Earth, very dry, and crumbled into Powder, as if it had been artificially sifted. It is very hot under the Feet, and mix'd with several burnt Stones and Cakes of Cinders, which have been thrown out at different times. A Man sinks almost a Foot in the Earth, and generally loses half a Step by sliding backwards. When we had climb'd this Mountain we discover'd the Top of it to be a wide naked Plain, smoaking with Sulphur in several Places, and probably undermin'd with Fire, for we concluded it to be hollow by the Sound it made under our Feet. In the midst of this Plain stands a high Hill in the shape of a Sugar-loaf, so very steep that there would be no mounting or descending it, were not it made up of such a loose crumbled Earth as I have before described. The Air of this Place must be very much impregnated with Salt-peter, as appears by the Specks of it on the Sides of the Mountain, where one can scarce find a Stone that has not the Top white with it. After we had, with much ado, conquer'd this Hill, we saw in the midst of it the present Mouth of
Vesuvio,
that goes shelving down on all Sides 'till above a Hundred Yards deep, as near as we could guess, and has about Three or Four Hundred in the Diameter, for it seems a perfect Round. This vast Hollow is generally fill'd with Smoak, but, by the Advantage of a Wind that blew for us, we had a very clear and distinct sight of it. The Sides appear all over stain'd with Mixtures of White, Green, Red and Yellow, and have several Rocks standing out of them that look like pure Brimstone. The Bottom was entirely cover'd, and tho' we look'd very narrowly we could see nothing like a Hole in it; the Smoak breaking through several imperceptible Cracks in many Places. The very Middle was firm Ground when we saw it, as we concluded from the Stones we flung upon it, and I question not but one might then have cross'd the Bottom, and have gone up on the other Side of it with very little Danger, unless from some accidental Breath of Wind. In the late Eruptions this great Hollow was like a vast Caldron fill'd with glowing and melted Matter, which, as it boil'd over in any Part, ran down the Sides of the Mountain, and made Five such Rivers as that before-mention'd. In proportion as the Heat slacken'd, this burning Matter must have subsided within the Bowels of the Mountain, and as it sunk very leisurely had time to Cake together, and form the Bottom which covers the Mouth of that dreadful Vault that lyes underneath it. The next Eruption or Earthquake will probably break in Pieces this false Bottom, and quite change the present Face of Things.
This whole Mountain, shaped like a Sugar-loaf, has been made at several times, by the prodigious Quantities of Earth and Cinders, which have been flung up out of the Mouth that lyes in the midst of them, so that it encreases in Bulk at every Eruption, the Ashes still falling down the Sides of it, like the Sand in an Hour-Glass. A Gentleman of
Naples
told me, that in his Memory it had gain'd Twenty Foot in Thickness, and I question not but in length of time it will cover the whole Plain, and make one Mountain with that on which it now stands.
In those Parts of the Sea, that are not far from the Roots of this Mountain, they find sometimes a very fragrant Oil, which is sold dear, and makes a rich Perfume. The Surface of the Sea is, for a little Space, cover'd with its Bubbles during the time that it rises, which they skim off into their Boats, and afterwards set a separating in Pots and Jars. They say its Sources never run but in a calm warm Weather. The Agitations of the Water perhaps hinder them from discovering it at other times.
Among the Natural Curiosities of
Naples,
I cannot forbear mentioning their manner of furnishing the Town with Snow, which they here use instead of Ice, because, as they say, it cools or congeals any Liquor sooner. There is a great Quantity of it consum'd yearly, for they drink very few Liquors, not so much as Water, that have not lain in
Fresco,
and every Body, from the highest to the lowest, makes use of it; insomuch that a Scarcity of Snow would raise a Mutiny at
Naples,
as much as a Dearth of Corn or Provisions in another Country. To prevent this the King has sold the Monopoly of it to certain Persons, who are oblig'd to furnish the City with it all the Year at so much the Pound. They have a high Mountain at about Eighteen Miles from the Town, which has several Pits dug into it. Here they employ many poor People at such a Season of the Year to roll in vast Balls of Snow, which they ram together, and cover from the Sun-shine. Out of these Reservoirs of Snow they cut several Lumps, as they have occasion for them, and send them on Asses to the Sea-side, where they are carry'd off in Boats, and distributed to several Shops at a settled Price, that from time to time supply the whole City of
Naples.
While the
Banditti
continu'd their Disorders in this Kingdom, they often put the Snow-Merchants under Contribution, and threaten'd them, if they appear'd tardy in their Payments, to destroy their Magazines, which they say might easily have been effected by the Infusion of some Barrels of Oil.
It would have been tedious to have put down the many Descriptions that the
Latin
Poets have made of several of the Places mention'd in this Chapter: I shall therefore conclude it with the general Map which
Silius Italicus
has given us of this great Bay of
Naples.
Most of the Places he mentions lye within the same Prospect, and if I have pass'd over any of them, it is because I shall take them in my Way by Sea, from
Naples
to
Rome.
Stagna inter celebrem nunc mitia monstrat Avernum,
Tum tristi nemore atque umbris nigrantibus horrens,
Et formidatus volucri, lethale vomebat
Suffuso virus coelo, Stygiâque per urbes
Relligione sacer, saevum retinebat honorem.
Hinc vicina palus, fama est Acherontis ad undas
Pandere iter, caecas stagnante voragine fauces
Laxat et horrendos aperit telluris hiatus,
Interdumque novo perturbat lumine manes.
Juxta caligante situ longumque per aevum
Infernis pressas nebulis, pallente sub umbrâ
Cymmerias jacuisse domos, noctemque profundam
Tartareae narrant urbis: tum sulphure et igni
Semper anhelantes, coctoque bitumine campos
Ostentant: tellus atro exundante vapore
Suspirans, ustisque diu calefacta medullis
Aestuat et Stygios exhalat in aëra flatus:
Parturit, et tremulis metuendum exibilat antris,
Interdumque cavas luctatus rumpere sedes,
Aut exire foras, sonitu lugubre minaci
Mulciber immugit, lacerataque viscera terrae
Mandit, et exesos labefactat murmure montes.
Tradunt Herculeâ prostratos mole Gigantes
Tellurem injectam quatere, et spiramine anhelo
Torreri late campos, quotiesque minatur
Rumpere compagem impositam, expallescere coelum.
Apparet procul Inarime, quae turbine nigro
Fumantem premit Iapetum, flammasque rebelli
Ore ejectantem, et siquando evadere detur
Bella Jovi rursus superisque iterare volentem.
Monstrantur Veseva juga, atque in vertice summo
Depasti flammis scopuli, fractusque ruinâ
Mons circùm, atque Aetnae fatis certantia Saxa.
Nec non Misenum servantem Idaea sepulcro
Nomina, et Herculeos videt ipso littore Baulos.
L. 12.
Averno
next he show'd his wond'ring Guest,
Averno
now with milder Virtues bless'd;
Black with surrounding Forests then it stood,
That hung above, and darken'd all the Flood:
Clouds of unwholsome Vapours, rais'd on high,
The flutt'ring Bird entangled in the Sky,
Whilst all around the gloomy Prospect spread
An awful Horror, and religious Dread.
Hence to the Borders of the Marsh they go,
That mingles with the baleful Streams below,
And sometimes with a mighty Yawn, 'tis said,
Opens a dismal Passage to the Dead,
Who pale with Fear the rending Earth survey,
And startle at the sudden Flash of Day.
The dark
Cimmerian
Grotto then he Paints,
Describing all its old Inhabitants,
That in the deep Infernal City dwell'd,
And lay in everlasting Night conceal'd.
Advancing still, the spacious Fields he show'd,
That with the smother'd Heat of Brimstone glow'd;
Through frequent Cracks the steaming Sulphur broke,
And cover'd all the blasted Plain with Smoke:
Imprison'd Fires, in the close Dungeons pent
Roar to get loose, and struggle for a Vent,
Eating their Way, and undermining all,
'Till with a mighty Burst whole Mountains fall.
Here, as 'tis said, the Rebel Giants lye,
And, when to move th' incumbent Load they try,
Ascending Vapours on the Day prevail,
The Sun looks sickly, and the Skies grow pale.
Next to the distant Isle his Sight he turns,
That o'er the Thunderstruck
Tiphaeus
burns:
Enrag'd, his wide extended Jaws expire
In angry Whirl-winds, Blasphemies and Fire,
Threat'ning, if loosen'd from his dire Abodes,
Again to challenge
Jove,
and fight the Gods.
On Mount
Vesuvio
next he fix'd his Eyes,
And saw the smoaking Tops confus'dly rise;
(A hideous Ruin!) that with Earthquakes rent
A second
Aetna
to the View present.
Miseno
's Cape and
Bauli
last he view'd,
That on the Sea's extreamest Borders stood.
Silius Italicus
here takes notice, that the poisonous Vapours which arose from the Lake
Averno
in
Hannibal
's Time, were quite dispers'd at the time when he wrote his Poem; because
Agrippa,
who liv'd between
Hannibal
and
Silius,
had cut down the Woods that enclos'd the Lake, and hinder'd these noxious Steams from dissipating, which were immediately scatter'd as soon as the Winds and fresh Air were let in among them.
THE ISLE of CAPREA.
H Aving stay'd longer at
Naples
than I at first design'd, I could not dispense with my self from making a little Voyage to the Isle of
Caprea,
as being very desirous to see a Place which had been the Retirement of
Augustus
for some time, and the Residence of
Tiberius
for several Years. The Island lyes Four Miles in Length from East to West, and about one in Breadth. The Western Part, for about Two Miles in Length, is a continu'd Rock vastly high, and inaccessible on the Sea-side. It has however the greatest Town in the Island, that goes under the Name of
Ano-Caprea,
and is in several Places cover'd with a very fruitful Soil. The Eastern End of the Isle rises up in Precipices very near as high, tho' not quite so long, as the Western. Between these Eastern and Western Mountains lyes a Slip of lower Ground, which runs across the Island, and is one of the pleasantest Spots I have seen. It is hid with Vines, Figs, Oranges, Almonds, Olives, Myrtles, and Fields of Corn, which look extremely fresh and beautiful, and make up the most delightful: little Landskip imaginable, when they are survey'd from the Tops of the neighbouring Mountains. Here stands the Town of
Caprea,
the Bishop's Palace, and Two or Three Convents. In the midst of this fruitful Tract of Land rises a Hill, that was probably cover'd with Buildings in
Tiberius
's Time. There are still several Ruins on the Sides of it, and about the Top are found Two or Three dark Galleries low built, and cover'd with Mason's Work, tho' at present they appear over-grown with Grass. I enter'd one of 'em that is a Hundred Paces in Length. I observed, as some of the Countrymen were digging into the Sides of this Mountain, that what I took for solid Earth was only Heaps of Brick, Stone, and other Rubbish, skinn'd over with a Covering of Vegetables. But the most considerable Ruin is that which stands on the very Extremity of the Eastern Promontory, where are still some Apartments left, very high and arch'd at Top. I have not indeed seen the Remains of any ancient
Roman
Buildings, that have not been Roof'd with either Vaults or Arches. The Rooms I am mentioning stand deep in the Earth, and have nothing like Windows or Chimnies, which makes me think they were formerly either Bathing Places or Reservoirs of Water. An old Hermit lives at present among the Ruins of this Palace, who lost his Companion a few Years ago by a Fall from the Precipice. He told me they had often found Medals and Pipes of Lead, as they dug among the Rubbish, and that not many Years ago they discover'd a pav'd Road running under Ground, from the Top of the Mountain to the Sea-side, which was afterwards confirm'd to me by a Gentleman of the Island. There is a very noble Prospect from this Place. On the one side lyes a vast Extent of Seas, that runs abroad further than the Eye can reach. Just opposite stands the Green Promontory of
Surrentum,
and on the other side the whole Circuit of the Bay of
Naples.
This Prospect, according to
Tacitus,
was more agreeable before the burning of
Vesuvio
; that Mountain probably, which after the first Eruption look'd like a great Pile of Ashes, was in
Tiberius
's Time shaded with Woods and Vineyards; for I think
Martial
's Epigram may here serve as a Comment to
Tacitus.
Hic est pampineis viridis Vesuvius umbris,
Presserat hic madidos nobilis uva lacus.
Haec juga quàm Nisae colles plùs Bacchus amavit:
Hoc nuper Satyri monte dedere choros.
Haec Veneris sedes, Lacedaemone gratior illi;
Hic locus Herculeo nomine clarus erat.
Cuncta jacent flammis & tristi mersa favillâ:
Nec superi vellent hoc licuisse sibi.
L. 2. Ep. 105.
Vesuvio,
cover'd with the fruitful Vine,
Here flourish'd once, and ran with Floods of Wine,
Here
Bacchus
oft to the cool Shades retir'd,
And his own Native
Nisa
less admir'd;
Oft to the Mountain's airy Tops advanc'd,
The frisking Satyrs on the Summets danc'd;
Alcides
here, here
Venus
grac'd the Shore,
Nor lov'd her Fav'rite
Lacedaemon
more:
Now Piles of Ashes, spreading all around,
In undistinguish'd Heaps deform the Ground,
The Gods themselves the ruin'd Seats bemoan,
And blame the Mischiefs that themselves have done.
This View must still have been more pleasant, when the whole Bay was encompass'd with so long a Range of Buildings, that it appear'd to those, who look'd on it at a distance, but as one continu'd City. On both the Shores of that fruitful Bottom, which I have before mention'd, are still to be seen the Marks of ancient Edifices: Particularly on that which looks towards the South there is a little kind of Mole, which seems to have been the Foundation of a Palace; unless we may suppose that the
Pharos
of
Caprea
stood there, which
Statius
takes notice of in his Poem that invites his Wife to
Naples,
and is, I think, the most natural among the
Silvae.
Nec desunt variae circùm oblectamina vitae,
Sive Vaporiferas, blandissima littora Bajas
Enthea fatidicae seu visere tecta Sibyllae,
Dulce sit, Iliacoque jugum memorabile remo:
Seu tibi Bacchei vineta madentia Gauri,
Teleboumque domos, trepidis ubi dulcia nautis
Lumina noctivagae tollit Pharus aemulae luna,
Caraque non molli juga Surrentina Lyaeo.
L. 3.
The blissful Seats with endless Pleasures flow,
Whether to
Baja
's Sunny Shores you go,
And view the Sulphur to the Baths convey'd,
Or the dark Grotte of the Prophetick Maid,
Or steep
Miseno
from the
Trojan
nam'd,
Or
Gaurus
for its flowing Vintage fam'd,
Or
Caprea,
where the Lanthorn fix'd on high
Shines like a Moon through the benighted Sky,
While by its Beams the wary Sailor steers:
Or where
Surrentum,
clad in Vines appears.
They found in
Ano-Caprea,
some Years ago, a Statue and a rich Pavement under Ground, as they had occasion to turn up the Earth that lay upon 'em. One still sees, on the Bendings of these Mountains, the Marks of several ancient Scales of Stairs, by which they us'd to ascend 'em. The whole Island is so unequal that there were but few Diversions to be found in it without Doors, but what recommended it most to
Tiberius
was its wholsome Air, which is warm in Winter and cool in Summer, and its inaccessible Coasts, which are generally so very steep, that a handful of Men might defend 'em against a powerful Army.
We need not doubt but
Tiberius
had his different Residences, according as the Seasons of the Year, and his different Sets of Pleasure requir'd.
Suetonius
says,
Duodecim Villas totidem nominibus ornavit.
The whole Island was probably cut into several easie Ascents, planted with Variety of Palaces, and adorn'd with as great a Multitude of Groves and Gardens as the Situation of the Place would suffer. The Works under Ground were however more extraordinary than those above it: For the Rocks were all undermin'd with High-ways, Grotto's, Galleries, Bagnio's, and several Subterraneous Retirements, that suited with the Brutal Pleasures of the Emperor. One would indeed very much wonder to see such small Appearances of the many Works of Art, that were formerly to be met with in this Island, were we not told that the
Romans,
after the Death of
Tiberius,
sent hither an Army of Pioneers on purpose to Demolish the Buildings, and deface the Beauties of the Island.
In sailing round
Caprea
we were entertain'd with many rude Prospects of Rocks and Precipices, that rise in several Places half a Mile high in Perpendicular. At the Bottom of 'em are Caves and Grotto's, form'd by the continual breaking of the Waves upon 'em. I enter'd one which the Inhabitants call
Grotto Oscuro,
and after the Light of the Sun was a little worn off my Eyes, could see all the Parts of it distinctly, by a glimmering Reflection that play'd upon 'em from the Surface of the Water. The Mouth is low and narrow, but, after having enter'd pretty far in, the Grotto opens it self on both Sides in an oval Figure of an Hundred Yeads from one Extremity to the other, as we were toln, for it would not have been safe measuring of it. The Roof is vaulted, and Distils fresh Water from every Part of it, which fell upon us as fast as the first Droppings of a Shower. The Inhabitants and
Neapolitans
who have heard of
Tiberius
's Grotto's, will have this to be one of 'em, but there are several Reasons that show it to be natural. For besides the little use we can conceive of such a dark Cavern of Salt Waters, there are no where any Marks of the Chissel; the Sides are of a soft mouldering Stone, and one sees many of the like hollow Spaces worn in the Bottoms of the Rocks, as they are more or less able to resist the Impressions of the Water that beats against 'em.
Not far from this Grotto lye the
Sirenum Scopuli,
which
Virgil
and
Ovid
mention in
Aeneas
's Voyage; they are Two or Three sharp Rocks that stand about a Stone's Throw from the South-side of the Island, and are generally beaten by Waves and Tempests, which are much more violent on the South than on the North of
Caprea.
Jamque adeo Scopulos Sirenum advecta subibat
Difficiles quondam, multorumque ossibus albos,
Tum: rauca assiduo longè sale saxa sonabant.
Aen.
Glides by the
Syren
's Cliffs, a shelfy Coast,
Long infamous for Ships and Sailors lost,
And white with Bones: Th' impetuous Ocean roars,
And Rocks rebellow from the sounding Shores.
Dryden.
I have before said that they often find Medals in this Island. Many of those they call the
Spintriae,
which
Aretin
has copy'd, have been dug up here. I know none of the Antiquaries that have written on this Subject, and find nothing satisfactory of it where I thought it most likely to be met with, in
Patin
's Edition of
Suetonius
illustrated by Medals. Those I have convers'd with about it, are of Opinion they were made to ridicule the Brutality of
Tiberius,
tho' I cannot but believe they were stamp'd by his Order. They are unquestionably Antique, and no bigger than Medals of the Third Magnitude. They bear on one Side some lewd Invention of that Hellish Society which
Suetonius
calls
Monstrosi concubitûs repertores,
and on the other the Number of the Medal. I have seen of 'em as high as to Twenty. I can't think they were made as a Jest on the Emperor, because Raillery on Coins is of a Modern Date. I know but Two in the Upper Empire, besides the
Spintriae,
that lye under any Suspicion of it. The first is one of
Marcus Aurelius,
where, in Compliment to the Emperor and Empress, they have stamp'd on the Reverse the Figure of
Venus
caressing
Mars,
and endeavouring to detain him from the Wars.
VENERI VICTRICI
—Quoniam belli fera maenera Mavors
Armipotens regit, in gremium qui saepe Tuum se
Rejicit, aeterno devinctus volnere amoris.
Lucr. L. 1.
The
Venus
has
Faustina
's Face, her Lover is a naked Figure with a Helmet on his Head, and a Shield on his Arm.
Tu scabie frueris mali quod in Aggere rodit,
Qui tegitur, parmâ & galeâ—
Juv. Sat. 5.
This unluckily brings to Mind
Faustina
's Fondness for the Gladiator, and is therefore interpreted by many as a hidden Piece of Satyr. But besides, that such a Thought was inconsistent with the Gravity of a Senate, how can one imagine that the Fathers would have dar'd Affront the Wife of
Aurelius,
and the Mother of
Commodus,
or that they could think of giving Offence to an Empress whom they afterwards deify'd, and to an Emperor that was the Darling of the Army and People?
The other Medal is a Golden one of
Gallienus
preserv'd in the
French
King's Cabinet; it is inscrib'd
Gallienae Augustae,
Pax Ubique,
and was stamp'd at a time when the Emperor's Father was in Bondage, and the Empire torn in Pieces by several Pretenders to it. Yet, if one considers the strange Stupidity of this Emperor, with the senseless Security which appears in several of his Sayings that are still left on Record, one may very well believe this Coin was of his own Invention. We may be sure, if Raillery had once enter'd the old
Roman
Coins, we should have been over-stock'd with Medals of that Nature; if we consider there were often Rival Emperors proclaim'd at the same time, who endeavour'd at the lessening of each others Character, and that most of 'em were succeeded by such as were Enemies to their Predecessor. These Medals of
Tiberius
were never current Mony, but rather of the Nature of Medalions, which seem to have been made on purpose to perpetuate the Discoveries of that infamous Society.
Suetonius
tells us, that their monstrous Inventions were Register'd several ways, and preserv'd in the Emperor's private Apartments.
Cubicula plurifariam disposita tabellis ac Sigillis lascivissimarum picturarum & figurarum adornavit, librisque Elephantidis instruxit: ne cui in Operá edendâ exemplar impetratae Schemae deesset.
The
Elephantis
here mention'd is probably the same
Martial
takes notice of for her Book of Postures.
In Sabellum.
Facundos mihi de libidinosis
Legisti nimium Sabelle versus,
Quales nec Didymi sciunt puellae,
Nec molles Elephantidos libelli.
Sunt illic Veneris novae figurae:
Quales, &c. Lib. 12. Ep. 43.
Ovid
mentions the same kind of Pictures that found a Place even in
Augustius
's Cabinet.
Scilicet in domibus vestris, ut prisca virorum
Artifici fulgent corpora picta manu;
Sic quae concubitus varios Venerisque figuras
Exprimat, est aliquo parva tabella loco.
De Trist. Lib. 2.
There are several of the
Sigilla,
or Seals,
Suetonius
speaks of, to be met with in Collections of ancient
Intaglio's
But, I think, what puts it beyond all doubt that these Coins were rather made by the Emperor's Order, than as a Satyr on him, is because they are now found in the very Place that was the Scene of these his unnatural Lusts.
—Quem rupes Caprearum tetra latebit
Incesto possessa Seni?—
Cl. de 4to Cons. Hon.
Who has not heard of
Caprea
's guilty Shore,
Polluted by the Rank old Emperor?
FROM NAPLES TO ROME, by SEA.
I Took a Falucca at
Naples
to carry me to
Rome,
that I might not be forc'd to run over the same Sights a Second time, and might have an Opportunity of seeing many things in a Road which our Voyage-Writers have not so particularly describ'd. As in my Journey from
Rome
to
Naples
I had
Horace
for my Guide, so I had the Pleasure of seeing my Voyage, from
Naples
to
Rome,
described by
Virgil.
It is indeed much easier to trace out the Way
Aeneas
took, than that of
Horace,
because
Virgil
has mark'd it out by Capes, Islands, and other Parts of Nature, which are not so subject to change or decay as are Towns, Cities, and the Works of Art. Mount
Pausilypo
makes a beautiful Prospect to those who pass by it: At a small distance from it lyes the little Island of
Nisida,
adorned with a great Variety of Plantations, rising one above another in so beautiful an Order, that the whole Island looks like a large Terrace-Garden. It has Two little Ports, and is not at present troubled with any of those noxious Steams that
Lucan
mentions.
—Tali spiramine Nesis
Emittit Stygium nebulosis Aē ra saxis.
Lib. 6.
Nesi
's high Rocks such
Stygian
Air produce,
And the blue breathing Pestilence diffuse.
From
Nifida
we row'd to Cape
Miseno.
The Extremity of this Cape has a long Cleft in it, which was enlarg'd and cut into Shape by
Agrippa,
who made this the great Port for the
Roman
Fleet that serv'd in the Mediterranean; as that of
Ravenna
held the Ships design'd for the
Adriatic
and
Archipelago.
The highest End of this Promontory rises in the fashion of a Sepulchre or Monument to those that survey it from the Land, which perhaps might occasion
Virgil
's burying
Misenus
under it. I have seen a grave
Italian
Author, who has written a very large Book on the
Campania Felice,
that from
Virgil
's Descrption of this. Mountain, concludes it was call'd
Aërius
before
Misenus
had given it a new Name.
At pius Aeneas ingenti mole Sepulchrum
Imponit, suaque arma viro remumque tubamque
Monte sub Aerio, qui nunc Misenus ab illo
Dicitur, aeternumque tenet per saecula nomen.
Aen. L. 6.
There are still to be seen a few Ruins of old
Misenum,
but the most considerable Antiquity of the Place is a Sett of Galleries that are hewn into the Rock, and are much more spacious than the
Piscina Mirabilis.
Some will have them to have been a Reservoir of Water, but others more probably suppose them to have been
Nero
's Baths. I lay the first Night on the Isle of
Procita,
which is pretty well cultivated, and contains about Four Thousand Inhabitants, who are all Vassals to the Marquis
de Vasto.
The next Morning I went to see the Isle of
Ischia,
that stands further out into the Sea. The ancient Poets call it
Inarime,
and lay
Typhaeus
under it, by reason of its Eruptions of Fire. There has been no Eruption for near these Three Hundred Years. The last was very terrible, and destroy'd a whole City. At present there are scarce any Marks left of a Subterraneous Fire, for the Earth is cold, and over-run with Grass and Shrubs, where the Rocks will suffer it. There are indeed several little Cracks in it, thro' which there issues a constant Smoke, but 'tis probable this arises from the warm Springs that feed the many Baths with which this Island is plentifully stock'd. I observ'd, about one of these Breathing Passages, a Spot of Myrtles that flourish within the Steam of these Vapours, and have a continual Moisture hanging upon them. On the South of
Ischia
lyes a round Lake of about Three Quarters of a Mile Diameter, separate from the Sea by a narrow Tract of Land. It was formerly a
Roman
Port. On the North End of the Island stands the Town and Castle, on an exceeding high Rock, divided from the Body of the Island, and inaccessible to an Enemy on all Sides. This Island is larger, but much more Rocky and Barren than
Procita. Virgil
makes them both shake at the Fall of part of the Mole of
Bajae,
that stood at a few Miles distance from them.
Qualis in Euböico Bajarum littore quondam
Saxea pila cadit, magnis quam molibus ante
Constructam jaciunt pelago: Sic illa ruinam
Prona trahit, penitusque vadis illisa recumbit;
Miscent se maria et nigrae attolluntur arenae:
T'um sonitu Prochita alta tremit, durumque cubile
Inarime, Jovis Imperiis imposta Typhaeo.
Aen. 9.
Not with less Ruin than the
Bajan
Mole
(Rais'd on the Seas the Surges to control)
At once comes tumbling down the rocky Wall,
Prone to the Deep the Stones disjointed fall
Off the vast Pile; the scatter'd Ocean flies;
Black Sands, discolour'd Froth, and mingled Mud arise.
The frighted Billows roll, and seek the Shores:
Trembles high
Prochyta,
and
Ischia
roars:
Typhaeus
roars beneath, by
Jove
's Command,
Astonish'd at the Flaw that shakes the Land,
Soon shifts his weary Side, and scarce awake,
With Wonder feels the Weight press lighter on his Back.
Dryden.
I don't see why
Virgil
in this noble Comparison has given the Epithet of
Alta
to
Procita,
for it is not only no high Island in it self, but is much lower than
Ischia,
and all the Points of Land that lye within its Neighbourhood. I should think
Alta
was join'd adverbially with
Tremit,
did
Virgil
make use of so Equivocal a Syntax. I cannot forbear inserting in this Place, the lame Imitation
Silius Italicus
has made of the foregoing Passage.
Haud aliter structo Tyrrhena ad littora Saxo,
Pugnatura fretis subter caecisque procellis
Pila immane sonans, impingitur ardua ponto;
Immugit Nereus, divisaque caerula pulsu
Illisum accipiunt irata sub aequora montem.
L. 4.
So a vast Fragment of the
Bajan
Mole,
That, fix'd amid the
Tyrrhene
Waters, braves
The beating Tempests and insulting Waves,
Thrown from its Basis with a dreadful Sound,
Dashes the broken Billows all around,
And with resistless Force the Surface cleaves,
That in its angry Waves the falling Rock receives.
The next Morning going to
Cumae
thro' a very pleasant Path, by the
Mare Mortuum,
and the
Elisian
Fields, we saw in our Way a great many Ruins of Sepulchres, and other ancient Edifices.
Cumae
is at present utterly destitute of Inhabitants, so much is it chang'd since
Lucan
's Time, if the Poem to
Piso
be his.
—Acidaliâ quae condidit Alite muros
Euboicam referens faecunda Neapolis urbem.
Where the fam'd Walls of fruitful
Naples
lye,
That may for Multitudes with
Cuma
vie.
They show here the Remains of
Apollo
's Temple, which all the Writers of the Antiquities of this place suppose to have been the same
Virgil
describes in his Sixth
Aeneid,
as built by
Daedalus,
and that the very Story which
Virgil
there mentions, was actually Engraven on the Front of it.
Redditus his primùm terris tibi Phoebe-Sacravit
Remigium Alarum, posuitque immania Templa.
In foribus lethum Androgeo, tum pendere paenas
Cecropidae jussi, miserum! Septena quotannis
Carpora Natorum: Stat ductis sortibus urna.
Contra elata mari respondet Gnossia tellus, &c.
Aen. 6.
To the
Camean
Coast at length he came,
And, here alighting, built his costly Frame
Inscrib'd to
Phoebus,
here he hung on high
The Steerage of his Wings that cut the Sky;
Then o'er the lofty Gate his Art emboss'd
Androgeo
's Death, and Off'rings to his Ghost,
Sev'n Youths from
Athens
yearly sent, to meet
The Fate appointed by revengeful
Crete
;
And next to those the dreadful Urn was plac'd,
In which the destin'd Names by Lots were cast.
Dryden.
Among other Subterraneous Works there is the beginning of a Passage, which is stopp'd up within less than a Hundred Yards of the Entrance, by the Earth that is fallen into it. They suppose it to have been the other Mouth of the
Sibyl
's Grotto. It lyes indeed in the same Line with the Entrance near the
Avernus,
is fac'd alike with the
Opus Reticulatum,
and has still the Marks of Chambers that have been cut into the Sides of it. Among the many Fables and Conjectures which have been made on this Grotto, I think it is highly probable, that it was once inhabited by such as perhaps thought it a better Shelter against the Sun than any other kind of Building, or at least that it was made with smaller Trouble and Expence. As for the Mosaic, and other Works that may be found in it, they may very well have been added in later Ages, according as they thought fit to put the Place to different Uses. The Story of the
Cimmerians
is indeed clogg'd with Improbabilities, as
Strabo
relates it, but it is very likely there was in it some Foundation of Truth.
Homer
's Description of the
Cimmerians,
whom he places in these Parts, answers very well to the Inhabitants of such a long dark Cavern.
The gloomy Race, in Subterraneous Cells,
Among surrounding Shades and Darkness dwells;
Hid in th' unwholsome Covert of the Night,
Theyshun th' Approaches of the chearful Light:
The Sun ne'er visits their obscure Retreats,
Nor when he runs his Course, nor when he sets.
Unhappy Mortals!—
Odys. L. 10.
Tu quoque littoribus nostris, Aeneia nutrix,
Aeternam mortens fomam Cajeta dedisti:
Et nunc servat honos sedem tuus, ossaque nomen
Hesperiâ in magnâ, si qua est ea gloria, signat.
Aen. 7.
And thou, O Matron of Immortal Fame,
Here dying, to the Shore hast left thy Name:
Cajeta
still the Place is call'd from Thee,
The Nurse of great
Aeneas'
Infancy.
Here rest thy Bones in rich
Hesperia
's Plains;
Thy Name ('tis all a Ghost can have) remains.
Dryden.
I saw at
Cajeta
the Rock of Marble, said to be cleft by an Earthquake at our Saviour's Death. There is written over the Chappel Door, that leads into the Crack, the Words of the Evangelist,
Ecce terrae-motus factus est magnus.
I believe every one who sees this vast Rent in so high a Rock, and observes how exactly the Convex Parts of one Side tally with the Concave of the other, must be satisfy'd that it was the Effect of an Earthquake, tho' I question not but it either happen'd long before the Time of the
Latin
Writers, or in the darker Ages since, for otherwise. I cannot but think they would have taken notice of its Original. The Port, Town, Castle, and Antiquities of this Place have been often describ'd.
We touch'd next at
Monte Circeio
which
Homer
calls
Insula Aeëa,
whether it be that it was formerly an Island, or that the
Greek
Sailors of his Time thought it so. It is certain they might easily have been deceived by its appearance, as being a very high Mountain join'd to the main Land by a narrow Tract of Earth, that is many Miles in Length, and almost of a Level with the Surface of the Water. The End of this Promontory is very rocky, and mightily expos'd to the Winds and Waves, which perhaps gave the first Rise to the Howlings of Wolves, and the Roarings of Linos, that us'd to be heard thence. This I had a very lively Idea of, being forc'd to lye under it a whole Night.
Virgil
's Description of
Aeneas
passing by this Coast can never be enough admir'd. It is worth while to observe how, to heighten the Horror of the Description, he has prepar'd the Reader's Mind, by the Solemnity of
Cajeta
's Funeral, and the dead Stillness of the Night.
At pius exequiis Aeneas rite solutis
Aggere composito tumuli, postquam alta quiêrunt
Aequora, tendit iter velis, portumque relinquit.
Adspirant aurae in noctem, nec candida cursus
Luna negat: Splendet tremulo sub lumine pontus.
Proxima Circeae raduntur littora terrae:
Dives inaccessos ubi solis filia lucos
Assiduo resonat cantu, tectisque superbis
Urit odoratam nocturna in lumina cedrum,
Arguto tenues percurrens pectine telas:
Hinc exaudiri gemitus, iraeque Leonum
Vincla recusantum, et serâ sub nocte rudentum:
Setigerique sues, atque in praesepibus ursi
Saevire, ac formae magnorum ululare luporum:
Quos hominum ex facie Dea saeva potentibus herbis
Induerat Circe in vultus ac terga ferarum.
Quae nè monstra pii paterentur talia Troes
Delati in portus, neu littora dira subirent
Neptunus ventis implevit vela secundis:
Atque fugam dedit et praeter vada fervida vexit.
Aen. L. 7.
Now, when the Prince her Fun'ral Rites had paid,
He plow'd the
Tyrrhene
Seas with Sails display'd.
From Land a gentle Breeze arose, by Night
Serenely shone the Stars, the Moon was bright,
And the Sea trembled with her Silver Light.
Now near the Shelves of
Circe
's Shores they run,
(
Circe
the rich, the Daughter of the Sun)
A dang'rous Coast: The Goddess wastes her Days
In joyous Songs, the Rocks resound her Lays:
In Spinning, or the Loom, she spends her Night,
And Cedar Brands supply her Father's Light.
From hence were heard, (rebellowing to the Main)
The Roars of Lions that refuse the Chain,
The Grunts of bristled Boars, and Groans of Bears,
And Herds of Howling Wolves that stun the Sailor's Ears.
These from their Caverns, at the Close of Night,
Fill the sad Isle with Horror and Affright.
Darkling they mourn their Fate, whom
Circe
's Pow'r,
(That watch'd the Moon, and Planetary Hour)
With Words and wicked Herbs, from Human kind
Had alter'd, and in Brutal Shapes confin'd.
Which Monsters lest the
Trojan
's Pious Host
Should bear, or touch upon th' inchanted Coast;
Propitious
Neptune
steer'd their Course by Night
With rising Gales, that sped their happy Flight.
Dryden.
Virgil
calls this Promontory
Aeëae Insula Circes
in the Third
Aeneid,
but 'tis the Heroe, and not the Poet that speaks. It may however be look'd upon as an Intimation, that he himself thought it an Island in
Aeneas
's Time. As for the thick Woods, which not only
Virgil
but
Homer
mentions, in the beautiful Description that
Plutarch
and
Longinus
have taken notice of, they are most of 'em grubb'd up since the Promontory has been cultivated and inhabited, tho' there are still many Spots of it which show the natural Inclination of the Soil leans that way.
The next Place we touch'd upon was
Nettuno,
where we found nothing remarkable besides the extream Poverty and Laziness of the Inhabitans. At Two Miles distance from it lye the Ruins of
Antium,
that are spread over a great Circuit of Land. There are still left the Foundations of several Buildings, and what are always the last Parts that perish in a Ruin, many Subterraneous Grotto's and Passages of a great Length. The Foundations of
Nero
's Port are still to be seen. It was altogether Artificial, and compos'd of huge Moles running round it, in a kind of Circular Figure, except where the Ships were to enter, and had about Three Quarters of a Mile in its shortest Diameter. Tho' the making of this Port must have cost prodigious Sums of Mony, we find no Medal of it, and yet the same Emperor has a Medal struck in his own Name for the Port of
Ostia,
which in Reality was a Work of his Predecessor
Claudius.
The last Pope was at considerable Charges to make a little kind of Harbour in this Place, and to convey fresh Water to it, which was one of the Artifices of the Grand Duke, to divert his Holiness from his Project of making
Civita-vecchia
a free Port. There lyes between
Antium
and
Nettuno
a Cardinal's
Villa,
which is one of the pleasantest for Walks, Fountains, Shades, and Prospects that I ever saw.
Antium
was formerly famous for the Temple of Fortune that stod in it. All agree there were Two Fortunes worshipped here, which
Suetonius
calls the
Fortunae Antiates,
and
Martial
the
Sorores Antii.
Some are of Opinion, that by these Two Goddesses were meant the Two
Nemeses
one of which rewarded good Men, as the other punish'd the wicked.
Fabretti
and others are apt to believe, that by the Two Fortunes were only meant in general the Goddess who sent Prosperity, or she who sent Afflictions to Mankind, and produce in their Behalf an ancient Monument found in this very Place, and superscrib'd
Fortunae Felici,
which indeed may favour one Opinion as well as the other, and shows at least they are not mistaken in the general Sense of their Division. I don't know whether any Body has taken notice, that this double Function of the Goddess gives a considerable Light and Beauty to the Ode which
Horace
has address'd to her. The whole Poem is a Prayer to Fortune, that she would prosper
Caesar
's Arms, and confound his Enemies, so that each of the Goddesses has her Task assign'd in the Poet's Prayer; and we may observe the Invocation is divided between the Two Deities, the first Line relating indifferently to either. That which I have mark'd speaks to the Goddess of Prosperity, or if you please to the
Nemesis
of the Good, and the other to the Goddess of Adversity, or to the
Nemesis
of the Wicked.
O Diva gratum quae regis Antium,
Praesens vel imo tollere de gradu
Mortale corpus,
vel superbos
Vertere funeribus triumphos!
&c.
Great Goddess,
Antium
's Guardian Power,
Whose Force is strong, and quick to raise
The lowest to the highest Place;
Or with a wond'rous Fall
To bring the Haughty lower,
And turn proud Triumphs to a Funeral,
&c.
Creech.
If we take the first Interpretation of the Two Fortunes for the double
Nemesis,
the Compliment to
Caesar
is the greater, and the Fifth Stanza clearer than the Commentators usually make it, for the
Clavi trabales, cunei, uncus, liquidumque, plumbum,
were actually used in the Punishment of Criminals.
Our next Stage brought us to the Mouth of the
Tiber,
into which we enter'd with some Danger, the Sea being generally very rough in these Parts, where the River rushes into it. The Season of the Year, the Muddiness of the Stream, with the many Green Trees hanging over it, put me in Mind of the delightful Image that
Virgil
has given us when
Aeneas
took the first View of it.
Atque hic Aeneas ingentem ex aequore lucum
Prospicit: hunc inter fluvio Tiberinus amaeno,
Vorticibus rapidis et multâ flavus arenâ
In mare prorumpit: variae circumque supraque
Assuetae ripis volucres et fluminis alveo
Aethera mulcebant cantu, lucoque volabant.
Flectere iter Sociis terraeque advertere proras
Imperat, et laetus fluvio succedit opaco.
Aen. L. 7.
The
Trojan
from the Main beheld a Wood,
Which thick with Shades, and a brown Horror stood:
Betwixt the Trees the
Tiber
took his Course,
With Whirlpools dimpled, and with downward Force
That drove the Sand along, he took his Way,
And roll'd his Yellow Billows to the Sea;
About him, and above, and round the Wood,
The Birds that haunt the Borders of his Flood;
That bath'd within, or bask'd upon his Side,
To tuneful Songs their narrow Throats apply'd.
The Captain gives Command, the joyful Train
Glide through the gloomy Shade, and leave the Main.
Dryden.
It is impossible to learn from the Ruins of the Port of
Ostia,
what its Figure was when it stood whole and entire. I shall therefore set down the Medal, that I have before mention'd, which represents it as it was formerly.
AVGVSTI SPQR
It is worth while to compare
Juvenal
's Description of this Port with the Figure it makes on the Coin.
Tandem intrat positas inclusa per aequora moles,
Tyrrhenamque Pharon, porrectaque brachia, rursus
Quae pelago occurrunt medio, longèque relinquunt
Italiam: non sic igitur mirabere portus
Quos Natura dedit—
Juv. Sat. 12.
At last within the mighty Mole she gets
Our
Tyrrhene Pharos,
that the mid Sea meets
With its Embrace, and leaves the Land behind;
A Work so wond'rous Nature ne'er design'd.
Dryd. Juv.
The Seas may very properly be said to be enclos'd (
Inclusa
) between the Two Semicircular Moles that almost surround 'em. The
Colossus,
with something like a lighted Torch in its Hand, is probably the
Pharos
in the Second Line. The Two Moles that we must suppose are join'd to the Land behind the
Pharos,
are very Poetically describ'd by the
—Porrectaque brachia, rursus
Quae pelago occurrunt medio, longèque relinquunt
Italiam—
as they retire from one another in the Compass they make, 'till their Two Ends almost meet a Second time in the midst of the Waters, where the Figure of
Neptune
sits. The Poet's Reflection on the Haven is very just, since there are few Natural Ports better Landlock'd, and closed on all Sides than this seems to have been. The Figure of
Neptune
has a Rudder by him, to mark the Convenience of the Harbour for Navigation, as he is represented himself at the Entrance of it, to show it stood in the Sea. The Dolphin distinguishes him from a River
God,
and figures out his Dominion over the Seas. He holds the same Fish in his Hand on other Medals. What it means we may learn from the
Greek
Epigram on the Figure of a
Cupid,
that had a Dolphin in one Hand, and a Flower in the other.
,
A proper Emblem graces either Hand,
In one he holds the Sea, in one the Land.
Half a Day more brought us to
Rome,
thro' a Road that is commonly visited by Travellers.
ROME.
I T is generally observ'd, that Modern
Rome
stands higher than the Ancient; some have computed it about Fourteen or Fifteen Feet, taking one Place with another. The Reason given for it is, that the present City stands upon the Ruins of the former, and indeed I have often observed, that where any considerable Pile of Building stood anciently one still finds a rising Ground, or a little kind of Hill, which was doubtless made up out of the Fragments and Rubbish of the ruin'd Edifice. But besides this particular Cause, we may assign another that has very much contributed to the raising the Situation of several Parts of
Rome
: It being certain the great Quantities of Earth, that have been wash'd off from the Hills by the Violence of Showers, have had no small share in it. This any one may be sensible of who observes how far several Buildings, that stand near the Roots of Mountains, are sunk deeper in the Earth than those that have been on the Tops of Hills, or in open Plains; for which Reason the present Face of
Rome
is much more Even and Level than it was formerly; the same Cause that has rais'd the lower Grounds having contributed to sink those that were higher.
There are in
Rome
Two Setts of Antiquities, the Christian and the Heathen. The former, tho' of a fresher Date, are so embroil'd with Fable and Legend, that one receives but little Satisfaction from searching into them. The other give a great deal of Pleasure to such as have met with them before in ancient Authors; for a Man who is in
Rome
can scarce see an Object that does not call to Mind a Piece of a
Latin
Poet or Historian. Among the Remains of Old
Rome,
the Grandeur of the Common-wealth shows it self chiefly in Works that were either necessary or convenient, such as Temples, High-ways, Aqueducts, Walls and Bridges of the City. On the contrary the Magnificence of
Rome,
under the Emperors, is seen principally in such Works as were rather for Ostentation or Luxury, than any real Usefulness or Necessity, as in Baths, Amphitheaters, Circus's, Obelisks, Triumphant Pillars, Arches and Mausoleums; for what they added to the Aqueducts was rather to supply their Baths and Naumachias, and to embellish the City with Fountains, than out of any real Necessity there was for them. These several Remains have been so copiously describ'd by abundance of Travellers, and other Writers, particularly by those concern'd in the learned Collection of
Graevius,
that it is very difficult to make any new Discoveries on so beaten a Subject. There is however so much to be observ'd in so spacious a Field of Antiquities, that it is almost impossible to survey them without taking new Hints, and raising different Reflections, according as a Mans natural Turn of Thoughts, or the Course of his Studies, direct him.
No Part of the Antiquities of
Rome
pleas'd me so much as the ancient Statues, of which there is still an incredible Variety. The Workmanship is often the most exquisite of any thing in its kind. A Man would wonder how it were possible for so much Life to enter into Marble, as may be discover'd in some of the best of them; and even in the meanest one has the Satisfaction of seeing the Faces, Postures, Airs and Dress of those that have liv'd so many Ages before us. There is a strange Resemblance between the Figures of the several Heathen Deities, and the Descriptions that the
Latin
Poets have given us of them; but as the first may be looked upon as the ancienter of the Two, I question not but the
Roman
Poets were the Copiers of the
Greek
Statuaries. Tho' on other Occasions we often find the Statuaries took their Subjects from the Poets. The
Laocoon
is too known an Instance among many others that are to be met with at
Rome.
In the
Villa Aldabrandina
are the Figures of an Old and Young Man, engag'd together at the
Caestus,
who are probably the
Dares
and
Entellus
of
Virgil
; where by the way one may observe the Make of the ancient
Caestus,
that it only consisted of so many large Thongs about the Hand, without any thing like a Piece of Lead at the End of them, as some Writers of Antiquities have falsely imagin'd.
I question not but many Passages in the old Poets hint at several Parts of Sculpture, that were in Vogue in the Author's Time, tho' they are now never thought of, and that therefore such Passages lose much of their Beauty in the Eye of a Modern Reader, who does not look upon them in the same Light with the Author's Contemporaries. I shall only mention Two or Three out of
Juvenal,
that his Commentators have not taken notice of. The first runs thus,
Multa pudicitiae veteris vestigia forsan,
Aut aliqua extiterint, et sub Jove, sed Jove nondum
Barbato—
Sat. 6.
Some thin Remains of Chastity appear'd
Ev'n under
Jove,
but
Jove
without a Beard.
Dryden.
I appeal to any Reader, if the Humour here would not appear much more natural and unforced to a People that saw every Day some or other Statue of this God with a thick bushy Beard, as there are still many of them extant at
Rome,
than it can to us who have no such Idea of him; especially if we consider there was in the same City a Temple Dedicated to the Young
Jupiter,
call'd
Templum Vaejovis,
where, in all probability, there stood the particular Statue of a
Vid. Ov. de fastis, Li. 3. Ecl. 7.
Jupiter Imberbis. Juvenal,
in another Place, makes his Flatterer compare the Neck of one that is but feebly built, to that of
Hercules
holding up
Antaeus
from the Earth.
Et longum invalidi collum cervicibus aequat
Herculis Antaeum procul a tellure tenentis.
Sat. 3.
His long Crane Neck and narrow Shoulders praise;
You'd think they were describing
Hercules
Lifting
Anteus
—
Dryden.
What a strain'd unnatural Similitude must this seem to a Modern Reader, but how full of Humour, if we suppose it alludes to any celebrated Statues of these Two Champions, that stood perhaps in some publick Place or High-way near
Rome
? And what makes it more than probable there were such Statues, we meet with the Figures, which
Juvenal
here describes, on Antique Intaglio's and Medals. Nay,
Propertius
has taken notice of the very Statues.
—Luctantum in pulvere signa
Herculis Antaeique—
Lib. 3. Car. 1.
Antaeus
here and stern
Alcides
strive,
And both the grappling Statues seem to live.
I cannot forbear observing here, that the Turn of the Neck and Arms is often commended in the
Latin
Poets among the Beauties of a Man, as in
Horace
we find both put together, in that beautiful Description of Jealousie.
Dum tu Lydia Telephi
Cervicem roseam, et Cerea Telephi
Laudas Brachia, vae meum
Fervens difficili bile tumet jecur,
Tunc nec mens mihi, nec color
Certa sede manent: humor et in genas
Furtim labitur, arguens
Quàm lentis penitus macerer ignibus.
While
Telephus
's youthful Charms;
His rosie Neck, and winding Arms,
With endless Rapture you recite,
And in the tender Name delight;
My Heart, enrag'd by jealous Heats,
With numberless Resentments beats,
From my pale Cheeks the Colour flies,
And all the Man within me dies;
By fits my swelling Grief appears
In rising Sighs, and falling Tears,
That show too well the warm Desires,
The silent, slow, consuming Fires,
Which on my inmost Vitals prey,
And melt my very Soul away,
This we should be at a Loss to account for, did we not observe in the Old
Roman
Statues, that these Two Parts were always bare, and expos'd to View, as much as our Hands and Face are at present. I cannot leave
Juvenal
without taking notice that his
Ventilat aestivum digitis sudantilius
Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera Gem
.
Sat. 1.
Charg'd with light Summor Rings his Fingers sweat,
Unable to support a Gem of Weight.
Dryden.
was not anciently so great an Hyperbole as it is now, for I have seen old
Roman
Rings so very thick about, and with such large Stones in 'em, that 'tis no Wonder a Fop should reckon 'em a little cumbersome in the Summer Season of so hot a Climate.
It is certain that Satyr delights in such Allusions and Instances as are extreamly natural and familiar: When therefore we see any thing in an old Satyrist that looks forc'd and pedantick, we ought to consider how it appear'd in the Time the Poet writ, and whether or no there might not be some particular Circumstances to recommend it to the Readers of his own Age, which we are now deprived of. One of the finest ancient Statues in
Rome
is a
Meleager
with a Spear in his Hand, and the Head of a Wild Boar on one Side of him. It is of
Parian
Marble, and as yellow as Ivory. One meets with many other Figures of
Meleager
in the ancient
Basso Relievo's,
and on the Sides of the
Sarcophagi,
or Funeral Monuments. Perhaps it was the Arms or Device of the old
Roman
Hunters; which Conjecture I have found confirm'd in a Passage of
Manilius,
that lets us know the Pagan Hunters had
Meleager
for their Patron, as the Christians have their St.
Hubert.
He speaks of the constellation which makes a good Sports-Man.
—Quibus aspirantibus orti
Te Meleagre colunt—
Manil. Lib. 1.
I question not but this sets a Verse, in the Fifth Satyr of
Juvenal,
in a much better Light than if we suppose that the Poet aims only at the old Story of
Meleager,
without considering it as so very common and familiar a one among the
Romans.
—Flavi dignus ferro Meleagri
Spumat aper—
Juv. S. 5.
A Boar intire, and worthy of the Sword
Of
Meleager,
smoaks upon the Board.
Mr. Bowles.
In the beginning of the Ninth Satyr
Juvenal
asks his Friend why he looks like
Marsya
when he was overcome?
Scire velim quare toties mihi Naevole tristis
Occurris fronte obductâ, ceu Marsya victus?
Tell me why saunt'ring thus from Place to Place,
I meet thee,
Nevolus,
with a clouded Face?
Dryden's Juvenal.
Some of the Commentators tell us, that
Marsya
was a Lawyer who had lost his Cause; others say that this Passage alludes to the Story of the Satire
Marsyas,
who contended with
Apollo
; which I think is more humorous than the other, if we consider there was a famous Statue of
Apollo
fleaing
Marsya
in the midst of the
Roman Forum,
as there are still several ancient Statues of
Rome
on the same Subject.
There is a Passage in the Sixth Satyr of
Juvenal,
that I could never tell what to make of, 'till I had got the Interpretation of it from one of
Bellorio
's ancient
Basso Relievo's.
Magnorum Artificum frangebat pocula miles
Ut phaleris gauderet Equus: caelataque cassis
Romuleae simulacra ferae mansuescere jussae
Imperii fato, et geminos sub rupe Quirinos,
Ac nudam effigiem clypeo fulgentis et hastâ,
Pendentisque Dei, perituro ostenderet hosti.
Juv. Sat. 11.
Or else a Helmet for himself he made,
Where various Warlike Figures were Inlaid:
The
Roman
Wolf suckling the Twins was there,
And
Mars
himself, arm'd with his Shield and Spear,
Hov'ring above his Crest, did dreadful show,
As threat'ning Death to each resisting Foe.
Dryden's Juvenal.
Juvenal
here describes the Simplicity of the old
Roman
Soldiers, and the Figures that were generally Engraven on their Helmets. The First of 'em was the Wolf giving Suck to
Romulus
and
Rhemus
: The Second, which is comprehended in the Two last Verses, is not so Intelligible. Some of the Commentators tell us, that the God here mention'd is
Mars,
that he comes to see his Two Sons sucking the Wolf, and that the old Sculptors generally drew their Figures naked, that they might have the Advantage of representing the different Swelling of the Muscles, and the Turns of the Body. But they are extremely at a Loss to know what is meant by the Word
Pendentis
; some fancy it expresses only the great Embossment of the Figure, others believe it hung off the Helmet in
Alto Relievo,
as in the foregoing Translation.
Lubin
supposes that the God
Mars
was Engraven on the Shield, and that he is said to be hanging, because the Shield which bore him hung on the Left Shoulder. One of the old Interpreters is of Opinion, that by hanging is only meant a Posture of bending forward to strike the Enemy. Another will have it, that whatever is placed on the Head may be said to hang, as we call hanging Gardens, such as are planted on the Top of the House. Several learned Men, who like none of these Explications, believe there has been a Fault in the Transcriber, and that
Pendentis
ought to be
Perdentis
; but they quote no Manuscript in Favour of their Conjecture. The true Meaning of the Words is certainly as follows. The
Roman
Soldiers, who were not a little proud of their Founder, and the Military Genius of their Republick, us'd to bear on their Helmets the First History of
Romulus,
who was begot by the God of War, and suckled by a Wolf. The Figure of the God was made as if descending upon the Priestess
Ilia,
or as others call her
Rhea Silvia.
The Occasion required his Body should be naked,
Tu quoque inermis eras cum te formosa Sacerdos
Cepit: ut huic urbi Semina magna dares.
Ov. de Fas. L. 3.
Then too, our mighty Sire, thou stood'st disarm'd,
When thy rapt Soul the lovely Priestess charm'd,
That
Rome
's high Founder bore—
tho' on other Occasions he is drawn, as
Horace
has describ'd him,
Tunicâ cinctum adamantinâ.
The Sculptor however, to distinguish him from the rest of the Gods, gave him what the Medallists call his proper Attributes, a Spear in one Hand, and a Shield in the other. As he was represented descending, his Figure appear'd suspended in the Air over the Vestal Virgin, in which Sense the Word
Pendentis
is extremely proper and Poetical. Besides the Antique
Basso Relievo,
that made me first think of this Interpretation, I have since met with the same Figures on the Reverses of a couple of ancient Coins, which were stamp'd in the Reign of
Antoninus Pius,
as a Compliment to that Emperor, whom for his Excellent Government and Conduct of the City of
Rome,
the Senate regarded as a Second kind of Founder.
TRPOT COSIII S C
IMPERATOR III S C
Ilia Vestalis (quid enim vetat inde moveri)
Sacra lavaturas manè petebat aquas:
Fessa resedit humi, ventosque accepit aperto
Pectore; turbatas restituitque comas.
Dum sedet; umbrosae salices volucresque canorae
Fecerunt Somnos et leve murmur aquae.
Blanda quies victis furtim subrepit ocellis,
Et cadit a mento languida facta manus?
Mars videt hanc, visamque cupit, potiturque cupitâ:
Et sua divinâ furta fefellit ope.
Somnus abit: jacet illa gravis, jam scilicet intra
Viscera Romanae conditor urbis erat.
Ov. de Fastis, Lib. 3. Eleg. 1.
As the Fair Vestal to the Fountain came,
(Let none be startled at a Vestal's Name)
Tir'd with the Walk, she laid her down to rest,
And to the Winds expos'd her glowing Breast
To take the Freshness of the Morning Air,
And gather'd in a Knot her flowing Hair:
While thus she rested on her Arm reclin'd,
The hoary Willows waving with the Wind,
And Feather'd Quires that warbled in the Shade,
And purling Streams that through the Meadow stray'd,
In drowsie Murmurs lull'd the gentle Maid.
The God of War beheld the Virgin lye,
The God beheld her with a Lover's Eye,
And by so tempting an Occasion press'd,
The beauteous Maid, whom he beheld, possess'd:
Conceiving as she slept, her fruitful Womb
Swell'd with the Founder of Immortal
Rome.
I cannot quit this Head without taking notice of a Line in
Seneca
the Tragedian.
—Primus emergit solo
Dextrâ ferocem cornibus premens taurum
Zetus—
Sen. OEdip. Act. 3.
—First
Zetus
rises through the Ground,
Bending the Bull's tough Neck with Pain,
That tosses back his Horns in vain.
I cannot doubt but the Poet had here in view the Posture of
Zetus
in the famous Groupe of Figures, which represents the Two Brothers binding
Dirce
to the Horns of a mad Bull.
I could not forbear taking particular notice of the several Musical Instruments, that are to be seen in the Hands of the
Apollo's,
Muses, Fauns, Satyrs, Bacchanais and Shepherds, which might certainly give a great Light to the Dispute for Preference between the Ancient and Modern Musick. It would perhaps be no impertinent design to take off all their Models in Wood, which might not only give us some Notion of the ancient Musick, but help us to pleasanter Instruments than are now in use. By the Appearance they make in Marble, there is not One String-Instrument that seems comparable to our Violins, for they are all play'd on, either by the bare Fingers, or the
Plectrum,
so that they were incapable of adding any length to their Notes, or of varying 'em by those insensible Swellings, and wearings away of Sound upon the same String, which give so wonderful a Sweetness to our Modern Musick. Besides, that the String-Instruments must have had very low and feeble Voices, as may be guess'd from the small Proportion of Wood about 'em, which could not contain Air enough to render the Strokes, in any considerable measure, full and sonorous. There is a great deal of difference in the Make, not only of the several kinds of Instruments, but even among those of the same Name. The
Syringa,
for Example, has sometimes Four, and sometimes more Pipes, as high as to Twelve. The same Variety of Strings may be observed on their Harps, and of Stops on their
Tibiae,
which shows the little Foundation that such Writers have gone upon, who from a Verse perhaps in
Virgil
's Eclogues, or a short Passage in a
Classic
Author, have been so very nice in determining the precise Shape of the ancient Musical Instruments, with the exact Number of their Pipes, Strings and Stops. It is indeed the usual Fault of the Writers of Antiquities, to streighten and confine themselves to particular Models. They are for making a kind of Stamp on every thing of the same Name, and if they find any thing like an old Description of the Subject they Treat on, they take care to regulate it on all Occasions, according to the Figure it makes in such a single Passage: As the learned
German
Author, quoted by Monsieur
Baudelot,
who had probably never seen any thing of a Houshold-God, more than a
Canopus,
affirms roundly, that all the ancient
Lares
were made in the Fashion of a Jug-Bottle. In short, the Antiquaries have been guilty of the same Fault as the Systeme-Writers, who are for cramping their Subjects into as narrow a Space as they can, and for reducing the whole Extent of a Science into a few general Maxims. This a Man has occasion of observing more than once, in the several Fragments of Antiquity that are still to be seen in
Rome.
How many Dresses are there for each particular Deity? What a Variety of Shapes in the ancient Urns, Lamps, Lachrymary Vessels,
Priapus's,
Houshold-Gods, which have some of 'em been represented under such a particular Form, as any one of 'em has been describ'd with in an ancient Author, and would probably be all so, were they not still to be seen in their own Vindication? Madam
Dacier,
from some old Cuts of
Terence,
fancies that the
Larva
or
Persona
of the
Roman
Actors, was not only a Vizard for the Face, but had false Hair to it, and came over the whole Head like a Helmet. Among all the Statues at
Rome,
I remember to have seen but Two that are the Figures of Actors, which are both in the
Villa Matthei.
One sees on 'em the Fashion of the old Sock and
Larva,
the latter of which answers the Description that is given of it by this learned Lady, tho' I question not but several others were in use; for I have seen the Figure of
Thalia,
the Comic Muse, sometimes with an entire Head-piece in her Hand, sometimes with about half the Head, and a little Friz, like a Tower, running round the Edges of the Face, and sometimes with a Mask for the Face only, like those of a Modern Make. Some of the
Italian
Actors wear at present these Masks for the whole Head. I remember formerly I could have no Notion of that Fable in
Phaedrus,
before I had seen the Figures of these entire Head-pieces.
Personam Tragicam fortè vulpes viderat:
O Quanta Species, inquit, cerebrum non habet!
L. 1. Fab. 7.
As wily
Renard
walk'd the Streets at Night,
On a Tragedian's Mask he chanc'd to light,
Turning it o'er, he mutter'd with Disdain,
How vast a Head is here without a Brain!
I find Madam
Dacier
has taken notice of this Passage in
Phaedrus,
upon the same Occasion; but not of the following one in
Martial,
which alludes to the same kind of Masks.
Non omnes fallis, scit te Proserpina canum,
Personam capiti detrahet illa tuo.
L. 3. Ep. 43.
Why should'st thou try to hide thy self in Youth?
Impartial
Proserpine
beholds the Truth,
And, laughing at so fond and vain a Task,
Will strip thy hoary Noddle of its Mask.
In the
Villa Borghese
is the Bust of a young
Nero,
which shows us the Form of an ancient
Bulla
on the Breast, which is neither like a Heart, as
Macrobius
describes it, nor altogether resembles that in Cardinal
Chigi
's Cabinet; so that without establishing a particular Instance into a general Rule, we ought, in Subjects of this Nature, to leave room for the Humour of the Artist or Wearer. There are many Figures of Gladiators at
Rome,
tho' I don't remember to have seen any of the
Retiarius,
the
Samnite,
or the Antagonist to the
Pinnirapus.
But what I could not find among the Statues, I met with in Two Antique Pieces of Mosaic, which are in the Possession of a Cardinal. The
Retiarius
is engag'd with the
Samnite,
and has had so lucky a Throw, that his Net covers the whole Body of his Adversary from Head to Foot, yet his Antagonist recover'd himself out of the Toiles, and was Conqueror, according to the Inscription. In another Piece is represented the Combat of the
Pinnirapus,
who is arm'd like the
Samnite,
and not like the
Retiarius,
as some learned Men have supposed: On the Helmet of his Antagonist are seen the Two
Pinnae,
that stand up on either Side like the Wings in the
Petasus
of a
Mercury,
but rise much higher, and are more pointed.
There is no part of the
Roman
Antiquities that we are better acquainted with, than what relates to their Sacrifices. For as the Old
Romans
were very much devoted to their Religion, we see several Parts of it entering their ancient
Basso Relievo's,
Statues and Medals, not to mention their Altars, Tombs, Monuments, and those particular Ornaments of Architecture which were borrow'd from it. An Heathen Ritual could not instruct a Man better than these several Pieces of Antiquity, in the particular Ceremonies and Punctilio's that attended the different kinds of Sacrifices. Yet there is a much greater Variety in the Make of the Sacrificing Instruments, than one finds in those who have Treated of them, or have given us their Pictures. For not to insist too long on such a Subject, I saw in Signior
Antonio Politi
's Collection a
Patera
without any rising in the middle, as it is genenerally Engraven, and another with a Handle to it, as
Macrobius
describes it, tho' it is quite contrary to any that I have ever seen cut in Marble; and I have observed perhaps several Hundreds. I might here enlarge on the Shape of the Triumphal Chariot, which is different in some Pieces of Sculpture from what it appears in others; and on the Figure of the
Discus,
that is to be seen in the Hand of the celebrated
Castor
at Don
Livio
's, which is perfectly round, and not oblong, as some Antiquaries have represented it, nor has it any thing like a Sling fasten'd to it, to add force to the Toss.
Protinus imprudens, actusque cupidine lusus
Tollere Taenarides
orbem
properabat—
—De Hyacinthi disco.
Ov. Met. L. 10.
Th' unwary Youth, impatient for the Cast,
Went to snatch up the rolling Orb in haste.
Notwithstanding there are so great a Multitude of cloath'd Statues at
Rome,
I could never discover the several different
Roman
Garments, for 'tis very difficult to Trace out the Figure of a Vest, thro' all the Plaits and Foldings of the Drapery; besides, that the
Roman
Garments did not differ from each other, so much by the Shape as by the Embroidery and Colour, the one of which was too nice for the Statuary's Observation, as the other does not lye within the Expression of the Chissel. I observed, in abundance of
Bas Reliefs,
that the
Cinctus Gabinus
is nothing else but a long Garment, not unlike a Surplice, which would have trail'd on the Ground had it hung loose, and was therefore gather'd about the middle with a Girdle. After this it is worth while to read the laborious Description that
Ferrarius
has made of it.
Cinctus Gabinus non aliud fuit quàm cum togae lacinia laevo brachio subducta in tergum ita rejiciebatur, ut contracta retraheretur ad pectus, atque ita in nodum necteretur; qui nodus sive cinctus togam contrahebat, brevioremque et strictiorem reddidit.
De re Vestiar. L. 1. C. 14.
Lipsius
's Description of the
Samnite
Armour, seems drawn out of the very Words of
Livy
; yet not long ago a Statue, which was dug up at
Rome,
dress'd in this kind of Armour, gives a much different Explication of
Livy
from what
Lipsius
has done. This Figure was superscrib'd
BA. TO. NI.
from whence
Fabretti
concludes, that it was a Monument erected to the Gladiator
Bato,
who after having succeeded in Two Combats, was kill'd in the Third, and honourably Interr'd by Order of the Emperor
Caracalla.
The manner of Punctuation after each Sillable is to be met with in other Antique Inscriptions. I confess I could never learn where this Figure is now to be seen, but I think it may serve as an Instance of the great Uncertainty of this Science of Antiquities.
Vid. Fabr. de Columnâ Trajani.
In a Palace of Prince
Cesarini
I saw Busts of all the
Antonine
Family, which were dug up about Two Years since, not far from
Albano,
in a Place where is suppos'd to have stood a
Villa
of
Marcus Aurelius.
There are the Heads of
Antoninus Pius,
the
Faustina's, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus,
a young
Commodus,
and
Annius Verus,
all incomparably well cut.
Tho' the Statues that have been found among the Ruins of Old
Rome
are already very numerous, there is no question but Posterity will have the Pleasure of seeing many noble Pieces of Sculpture which are still undiscovered, for doubtless there are greater Treasures of this Nature under Ground, than what are yet brought to Light. They have often dug into Lands that are describ'd in old Authors, as the Places where such particular Statues or Obelisks stood, and have seldom fail'd of Success in their Pursuits. There are still many such promising Spots of Ground that have never been searched into. A great part of the
Palatine
Mountain, for Example, lyes untouch'd, which was formerly the Seat of the Imperial Palace, and may be presum'd to abound with more Treasures of this Nature than any other Part of
Rome.
Ecce Palatino crevit reverentia monti,
Exultatque habitante Deo, potioraque Delphis
Supplicibus latè populis oracula pandit.
Non alium certè decuit rectoribus orbis
Esse Larem, nulloque magis se colle potestas
Aestimat et summi sentit fastigia juris.
Attollens apicem subjectis regia rostris
Tot circum delubra videt, tantisque Deorum
Cingitur excubiis—
Claud. de Sexto Consulat. Honorii.
The
Palatine,
proud
Rome
's Imperial Seat,
(An awful Pile!) stands venerably Great:
Thither the Kingdoms and the Nations come,
In supplicating Crouds to learn their Doom;
To
Delphi
less th' enquiring Worlds repair,
Nor does a greater God inhabit there:
This sure the pompous Mansion was design'd
To please the mighty Rulers of Mankind;
Inferior Temples rise on either Hand,
And on the Borders of the Palace stand,
While o'er the rest her Head she proudly rears,
And lodg'd amidst her Guardian Gods appears.
But whether it be that the richest of these Discoveries fall into the Pope's Hands, or for some other Reason, it is said that the Prince
Farnese,
who is the present Owner of this Seat, will keep it from being turn'd up 'till he sees one of his own Family in the Chair. There are Undertakers in
Rome
who often purchase the digging of Fields, Gardens, or Vineyards, where they find any likelihood of succeeding, and some have been known to arrive at great Estates by it. They pay according to the Dimensions of the Surface they are to break up, and after having made Essays into it, as they do for Coal in
England,
they rake into the most promising Parts of it, tho' they often find, to their Disappointment, that others have been beforehand with 'em. However they generally gain enough by the Rubbish and Bricks, which the present Architects value much beyond those of a Modern Make, to defray the Charges of their Search. I was shown Two Spaces of Ground, where part of
Nero
's Golden House stood, for which the Owner has been offer'd an extraordinary Sum of Mony. What encourag'd the Undertakers are several very ancient Trees, which grow upon the Spot, from whence they conclude that these particular Tracts of Ground must have lain untouch'd for some Ages. 'Tis pity there is not something like a publick Register, to preserve the Memory of such Statues as have been found from time to time, and to mark the particular Places where they have been taken up, which would not only prevent many fruitless Searches for the future, but might often give a considerarable Light into the Quality of the Place, or the Design of the Statue.
But the great Magazine for all kinds of Treasure is supposed to be the Bed of the
Tiber.
We may be sure, when the
Romans
lay under the Apprehensions of seeing their City sack'd by a barbarous Enemy, as they have done more than once, that they would take care to bestow such of their Riches this way as could best bear the Water: besides what the Insolence of a Brutish Conqueror may be supposed to have contributed, who had an Ambition to waste and destroy all the Beauties of so celebrated a City. I need not mention the old Common-shore of
Rome,
which ran from all Parts of the Town with the Current and Violence of an ordinary River, nor the frequent Inundations of the
Tiber,
which may have swept away many of the Ornaments of its Banks, nor the several Statues that the
Romans
themselves flung into it, when they would revenge themselves on the Memory of an ill Citizen, a dead Tyrant, or a Discarded Favourite. At
Rome
they have so general an Opinion of the Riches of this River, that the
Jews
have formerly proffer'd the Pope to cleanse it, so they might have, for their Pains, what they found in the Bosome of it. I have seen the Valley near
Ponte molle,
which they propos'd to fashion into a new Channel for it, 'till they had clear'd the old for its Reception. The Pope however would not comply with the Proposal, as fearing the Heats might advance too far before they had finished their Work, and produce a Pestilence among his People; tho' I don't see why such a Design might not be executed now with as little Danger as in
Augustus
's Time, were there as many Hands employ'd upon it. The City of
Rome
would receive a great Advantage from the Undertaking, as it would raise the Banks and deepen the Bed of the
Tiber,
and by Consequence free 'em from those frequent Inundations to which they are so subject at present; for the Channel of the River is observed to be narrower within the Walls, than either below or above them.
Before I quit this Subject of the Statues, I think it very observable, that among those which are already found there should be so many not only of the same Persons, but made after the same Design. One would not indeed wonder to see several Figures of particular Deities and Emperors, who had a Multitude of Temples erected to 'em, and had their several Sets of Worshippers and Admirers. Thus
Ceres,
the most beneficent and useful of the Heathen Divinities, has more Statues than any other of the Gods or Goddesses, as several of the
Roman
Emperesses took a Pleasure to be represented in her Dress. And I believe one finds as many Figures of that excellent Emperor
Marcus Aurelius,
as of all the rest together; because the
Romans
had so great a Veneration for his Memory, that it grew into a part of their Religion to preserve a Statue of him in almost every private Family. But how comes it to pass, that so many of these Statues are cut after the very same Model, and not only of these, but of such as had no Relation, either to the Interest or Devotion of the Owner, as the dying
Cleopatra,
the
Narcissus,
the Faune leaning against the Trunk of a Tree, the Boy with the Bird in his Hand, the
Leda
and her Swan, with many others of the same Nature. I must confess I always look upon Figures of this kind, as the Copies of some celebrated Master-piece, and question not but they were famous Originals, that gave Rise to the several Statues which we see with the same Air, Posture, and Attitudes: What confirms me in this Conjecture, there are many ancient Statues of the
Venus de Medicis,
the
Silenus
with the young
Bacchus
in his Arms, the
Hercules Farnese,
the
Antinöus,
and other beautiful Originals of the Ancients, that are already drawn out of the Rubbish, where they lay conceal'd for so many Ages. Among the rest I have observed more that are form'd after the Design of the
Venus
of
Medicis
than of any other, from whence I believe one may conclude, that it was the most celebrated Statue among the Ancients, as well as among the Moderns. It has always been usual for Sculptors to work upon the best Models, as it is for those that are Curious to have Copies of them.
I am apt to think something of the same Account may be given of the Resemblance that we meet with in many of the Antique
Basso Relievo's.
I remember I was very well pleased with the Device of one that I met with on the Tomb of a young
Roman
Lady, which had beem made for her by her Mother. The Sculptor had chosen the Rape of
Proserpine
for his Device, where in one End you might see the God of the Dead (
Pluto
) hurrying away a beautiful young Virgin, (
Proserpine
) and at the other the Grief and Distraction of the Mother (
Ceres
) on that Occasion. I have since observed the same Device upon several
Sarcophagi,
that have enclos'd the Ashes of Men or Boys, Maids or Matrons; for when the Thought took, tho' at first it received its Rise from such a particular Occasion as I have mention'd, the Ignorance of the Sculptors apply'd it promiscuously. I know there are Authors who discover a Mystery in this Device.
A Man is sometimes surprized to find so many extravagant Fancies as are cut on the old Pagan Tombs. Masks, Hunting-matches, and Bacchanals are very common; sometimes one meets with a lewd Figure of a
Priapus,
and in the
Villa Pamphilia
is seen a Satyr coupling with a Goat. There are however many of a more serious Nature, that shadow out the Existence of the Soul after Death, and the Hopes of a happy Immortality. I cannot leave the
Basso Relievo's
without mentioning one of 'em, where the Thought is extreamly noble. It is call'd
Homer
's
Apotheosis,
and consists of a Groupe of Figures cut in the same Block of Marble, and rising one above another by Four or Five different Ascents.
Jupiter
sits at the Top of it with a Thunderbolt in his Hand, and, in such a Majesty as
Homer
himself represents him, presides over the Ceremony.
Immediately beneath him are the Figures of the Nine Muses, suppos'd to be celebrating the Praises of the Poet.
Homer
himself is placed at one End of the lowest Row, sitting in a Chair of State, which is supported on each Side by the Figure of a kneeling Woman. The one holds a Sword in her Hand to represent the
Iliad,
or Actions of
Achilles,
as the other has an
Aplustre
to represent the
Odyssy,
or Voyage of
Ulysses.
About the Poet's Feet are creeping a Couple of Mice, as an Emblem of the
Batracho-myomachia.
Behind the Chair stands Time, and the Genius of the Earth, distinguish'd by their proper Attributes, and putting a Garland on the Poet's Head, to intimate the mighty Reputation he has gain'd in all Ages, and in all Nations of the World. Before him stands an Altar with a Bull ready to be Sacrific'd to the new God, and behind the Victim a Train of the several Vertues that are represented in
Homer
's Works, or to be learnt out of them, lifting up their Hands in Admiration of the Poet, and in Applause of the Solemnity. This Antique Piece of Sculpture is in the Possession of the Constable
Colonna,
but never shown to those who see the Palace, unless they particularly desire it.
Among the great Variety of ancient Coins which I saw at
Rome,
I could not but take particular notice of such as relate to any of the Buildings or Statues that are still Extant. Those of the First kind have been already published by the Writers of the
Roman
Antiquities, and may be most of them met with in the last Edition of
Donatus,
as the Pillars of
Trajan
and
Antonine,
the Arches of
Drusus Germanicus,
and
Septimius Severus,
the Temples of
Janus,
Concord, Vesta, Jupiter tonans, Apollo
and
Faustina,
the
Circus Maximus, Agonalis,
and that of
Caracalla,
or, according to
Fabretti,
of
Galienus,
of
Vespasian
's Amphitheater, and
Alexander Severus
's Baths; tho', I must confess, the Subject of the last may be very well doubted of. As for the
Meta sudans
and
Pons Aelius,
which have gain'd a Place among the Buildings that are now standing, and to be met with on old Reverses of Medals: The Coin that shows the first is generally rejected as spurious: nor is the other, tho' cited in the last Edition of Monsieur
Vaillant,
esteem'd more Authentick by the present
Roman
Medallists, who are certainly the most skilful in the World, as to the Mechanical Part of this Science. I shall close up this Set of Medals with a very Curious one, as large as a Medalion, that is singular in its kind. On one Side is the Head of the Emperor
Trajan,
the Reverse has on it the
Circus Maximus,
and a View of the Side of the
Palatine
Mountain that faces it, on which are seen several Edifices, and among the rest the famous Temple of
Apollo,
that has still a considerable Ruin standing. This Medal I saw in the Hands of Monseigneur
Strozzi,
Brother to the Duke of that Name, who has many Curiosities in his Possession, and is very obliging to a Stranger who desires the Sight of 'em. It is a surprising thing; that among the great Pieces of Architecture represented on the old Coins, one can never meet with the
Pantheon,
the
Mausolaeum
of
Augustus, Nero
's Golden House, the
Moles Adriani,
the
Septizonium
of
Severus,
the Baths of
Dioclesian,
&c. But since it was the Custom of the
Roman
Emperors thus to Register their most remarkable Buildings, as well as Actions, and since there are several in either of these kinds not to be found on Medals, more extraordinary than those that are; we may, I think, with great Reason suspect our Collections of old Coins to be extremely deficient, and that those which are already found out scarce bear a Proportion to what are yet undiscover'd. A Man takes a great deal more Pleasure in surveying the ancient Statues, who compares them with Medals, than it is possible for him to do without some little Knowledge this way; for these Two Arts illustrate each other; and as there are several Particulars in History and Antiquities which receive a great Light from ancient Coins, so would it be impossible to Decipher the Faces of the many Statues that are to be seen at
Rome,
without so Universal a Key to them. It is this that teaches to distinguish the Kings and Consuls, Emperors and Emperesses, the Deities and Virtues, with a Thousand other Particulars relating to Statuary, and not to be learnt by any other Means. In the
Villa Pamphilia
stands the Statue of a Man in Woman's Cloaths, which the Antiquaries do not know what to make of, and therefore pass it off for an
Hermaphrodite
; But a learned Medallist in
Rome
has lately fix'd it to
Clodius,
who is so famous for having intruded into the S
emnities of the
Bona Dea
in a Woman's Habit, for one sees the same Features and Make of Face in a Medal of the
Clodian
Family.
I have seen on Coins the Four finest Figures perhaps that are now Extant: The
Hercules Farnese,
the
Venus
of
Medicis,
the
Apollo
in the
Belvidere,
and the famous
Marcus Aurelius
on Horseback. The oldest Medal that the First appears upon is one of
Commodus,
the Second on one of
Faustina,
the Third on one of
Antoninus Pius,
and the last on one of
Lucius Verus.
We may conclude, I think, from hence, that these Statues were extremely celebrated among the old
Romans,
or they would never have been honoured with a Place among the Emperor's Coins. We may further observe, that all Four of 'em make their first Appearance in the
Antonine
Family, for which Reason I am apt to think they are all of them the Product of that Age. They would probably have been mentioned by
Pliny
the Naturalist, who liv'd in the next Reign, save one, before
Antoninus Pius,
had they been made in his Time. As for the Brazen Figure of
Marcus Aurelius
on Horseback, there is no doubt of its being of this Age, tho' I must confess it may be doubted, whether the Medal I have cited represents it. All I can say for it is, that the Horse and Man on the Medal are in the same Posture as they are on the Statue, and that there is a Resemblance of
Marcus Aurelius
's Face, for I have seen this Reverse on a Medalion of
Don Livio
's Cabinet, and much more distinctly in another very beautiful one, that is in the Hands of Signior
Marc. Antonio.
It is generally objected, that
Lucius Verus
would rather have placed the Figure of himself on Horseback upon the Reverse of his own Coin, than the Figure of
Marcus Aurelius.
But it is very well known that an Emperor often stamp'd on his Coins the Face or Ornaments of his Collegue, as an Instance of his Respect or Friendship for him; and we may suppose
Lucius Verus
would omit no Opportunity of doing Honour to
Marcus Aurelius,
whom he rather revered as his Father, than treated as his Partner in the Empire. The Famous
Antinous
in the
Belvidere
must have been made too about this Age, for he dyed towards the middle of
Adrian
's Reign, the immediate Predecessor of
Antoninus Pius.
This entire Figure, tho' not to be found in Medals, may be seen in several precious Stones. Monsieur
La Chausse,
the Author of the
Musaeum Romanum,
show'd me an
Antinous
that he has published in his last Volume, cut in a
Cornelian,
which he values at Fifty Pistoles. It represents him in the Habit of a
Mercury,
and is the finest
Intaglia
that I ever saw.
Next to the Statues, there is nothing in
Rome
more surprising than that amazing variety of ancient Pillars of so many kinds of Marble. As most of the old Statues may be well supposed to have been cheaper to their first Owners, than they are to a Modern Purchaser, several of the Pillars are certainly rated at a much lower Price at present than they were of old. For not to mention what a huge Column of
Granite, Serpentine,
or
Porphyry
must have cost in the Quarry, or in its Carriage from
Egypt
to
Rome,
we may only consider the great Difficulty of hewing it into any Form, and of giving it the due Turn, Proportion and Polish. It is well known how these sorts of Marble resist the Impressions of such Instruments as are now in use. There is indeed a
Milanese
at
Rome
who works in them, but his Advances are so very slow, that he scarce lives upon what he gains by it. He show'd me a Piece of
Porphyry
work'd into an ordinary Salver, which had cost him Four Months continual Application, before he could bring it into that Form. The Ancients had probably some Secret to harden the Edges of their Tools, without recurring to those Extravagant Opinions of their having an Art to mollifie the Stone, or that it was naturally softer at its first cutting from the Rock, or what is still more absurd, that it was an artificial Composition, and not the natural Product of Mines and Quarries. The most valuable Pillars about
Rome,
for the Marble of which they are made, are the Four Columns of Oriental Jasper in St.
Paulina
's Chappel at St.
Maria Maggiore
; Two of Oriental Granite in St.
Pudenziana
; One of Transparent Oriental Jasper in the
Vatican
Library; Four of
Nero-Bianco
in St.
Cecilia Trans-tevere
; Two of
Brocatello,
and Two of Oriental Agate in Don
Livio
's Palace; Two of
Giallo Antico
in St.
John Lateran,
and Two of
Verdi Antique
in the
Villa Pamphilia.
These are all entire and solid Pillars, and made of such kinds of Marble as are no where to be found but among Antiquities, whether it be that the Veins of it are undiscovered, or that they were quite exhausted upon the ancient Buildings. Among these old Pillars I cannot forbear reckoning a great Part of an Alablaster Column, which was found in the Ruins of
Livia
's
Portico.
It is of the Colour of Fire, and may be seen over the high Altar of St.
Maria
in
Campitello,
for they have cut it into Two Pieces, and fix'd it in the Shape of a Cross in a Hole of the Wall that was made on purpose to receive it; so that the Light passing thro' it from without, makes it look, to those who are in the Church, like a huge transparent Cross of Amber. As for the Workmanship of the old
Roman
Pillars, Monsieur
Desgodetz,
in his accurate Measures of these Ruins has observed, that the Ancients have not kept to the nicety of Proportion, and the Rules of Art, so much as the Moderns in this Particular. Some, to excuse this Defect, lay the Blame of it on the Workmen of
Aegypt,
and of other Nations, who sent most of the ancient Pillars ready shap'd to
Rome
: Others say that the Ancients, knowing Architecture was chiefly design'd to please the Eye, only took care to avoid such Disproportions as were gross enough to be observ'd by the Sight, without minding whether or no they approach'd to a Mathematical Exactness: Others will have it rather to be an Effect of Art, and of what the
Italians,
call the
Gusto grande,
than of any Negligence in the Architect; for they say the Ancients always consider'd the Situation of a Building, whether it were high or low, in an open Square or in a narrow Street, and more or less deviated from their Rules of Art, to comply with the several Distances and Elevations from which their Works were to be regarded. It is said there is an
Ionic
Pillar in the
Santa Maria Transtevere,
where the Marks of the Compass are still to be seen on the Volute, and that
Palladio
learnt from hence the working of that difficult Problem; but I never could find time to examine all the old Columns of that Church. Among the Pillars I must not pass over the Two noblest in the World, those of
Trajan
and
Antonine.
There could not have been a more magnificent Design than that of
Trajan
's Pillar. Where could an Emperor's Ashes have been so nobly lodg'd, as in the midst of his Metropolis, and on the Top of so exalted a Monument, with the greatest of his Actions underneath him? Or, as some will have it, his Statue was on the Top, his Urn at the Foundation, and his Battles in the midst. The Sculpture of it is too well known to be here mention'd. The most remarkable Piece in
Antonine
's Pillar is the Figure of
Jupiter Pluvius,
sending down Rain on the fainting Army of
Marcus Aurelius,
and Thunderbolts on his Enemies, which is the greatest Confirmation possible of the Story of the Christian Legion, and will be a standing Evidence for it, when any Passage in an old Author may be supposed to be forged. The Figure that
Jupiter
here makes among the Clouds, puts me in Mind of a Passage in the
Aeneid,
which gives just such another Image of him.
Virgil
's Interpreters are certainly to blame, that suppose it is nothing but the Air which is here meant by
Jupiter.
Quantus ab occasu veniens pluvialibus haedis
Verberat imber humum, quàm multâ grandine nimbi
In vada praecipitant, quum Jupiter horridas austris
Torqu
t aquosam hyemem, & caelo cava nubila rumpit.
Aen. 9.
The Combat thickens, like the Storm that flies
From Westward, when the show'ry Kids arise:
Or patt'ring Hail comes pouring on the Main,
When
Jupiter
descends in harden'd Rain,
Or bellowing Clouds burst with a stormy Sound,
And with an armed Winter strew the Ground.
Dryden.
I have seen a Medal that, according to the Opinion of many learned Men, relates to the same Story. The Emperor is entitled on it
Germanicus,
(as it was in the Wars of
Germany
that this Circumstance happened) and carries on the Reverse a Thunderbolt in his Hand; for the Heathens attributed the same Miracle to the Piety of the Emperor, that the Christians ascribed to the Prayers of their Legion.
Fulmen de coelo precibus suis contra hostium Machinamentum Marcus extorsit, suis pluviâ impetratâ cùm siti laborarent.
Jul. Capit.
Claudian
takes notice of this Miracle, and has given the same Reason for it.
—Ad templa vocatus
Clemens Marce redis, cum gentibus undique cinctam
Exuit Hesperiam paribus fortuna periclis.
Laus ibi nulla ducum, nam flammeus imber in hostem
Decidit, hunc dorso trepidum fumante ferebat
Ambustus sonipes; hic tabescente solutus
Subsedit galeâ, liquefactaque fulgure-cuspis
Canduit, et subitis fluxere vaporibus enses.
Tunc, contenta polo, mortalis nescia teli
Pugna fuit. Chaldaea mago seu carmina ritu
Armavere Deos: seu, quod reor, omne tonantis
Obsequium Marci mores potuere mereri.
De Sexto Cons. Hon.
So mild
Aurelius
to the Gods repaid
The grateful Vows that in his Fears he made,
When
Latium
from unnumber'd Foes was freed:
Nor did he Then by his own Force succeed;
But with descending Show'rs of Brimstone fir'd,
The wild Barbarian in the Storm expir'd.
Wrapt in devouring Flames the Horseman rag'd,
And spurr'd the Steed in equal Flames engag'd:
Another pent in his scorch'd Armour glow'd,
While from his Head the melting Helmet flow'd;
Swords by the Light'ning's subtile Force distill'd,
And the cold Sheath with running Metal fill'd:
No Human Arm its weak Assistance brought,
But Heav'n, offended Heav'n, the Battel fought;
Whether dark Magick and
Chaldean
Charms
Had fill'd the Skies, and set the Gods in Arms;
Or good
Aurelius
(as I more believe)
Deserv'd whatever Aid the Thunderer could give.
I do not remember that M.
Dacier,
among several Quotations on this Subject, in the Life of
Marcus Aurelius,
has taken Notice, either of the forementioned Figure on the Pillar of
Marcus Antoninus,
or of the Beautiful Passage I have quoted out of
Claudian.
It is pity the Obelisks in
Rome
had not been charged with several Parts of the
Egyptian
Histories instead of Hierogliphics, which might have given no small Light to the Antiquities of that Nation, which are now quite sunk out of sight in those remoter Ages of the World. Among the Triumphal Arches, that of
Constantine
is not only the noblest of any in
Rome,
but in the World. I search'd narrowly into it, especially among those Additions of Sculpture made in the Emperor's own Age, to see if I could find any Marks of the Apparition, that is said to have preceded the very Victory which gave Occasion to the Triumphal Arch. But there are not the least Traces of it to be met with, which is not very strange, if we consider that the greatest Part of the Ornaments were taken from
Trajan
's Arch, and set up to the new Conqueror in no small haste, by the Senate and People of
Rome,
who were then most of them Heathens. There is however something in the Inscription, which is as old as the Arch it self, that seems to hint at the Emperor's Vision.
Imp. Caes. Fl. Constantino maximo P. F. Augusto S. P. Q. R. quod
instinctu Divinitatis
mentis magnitudine cum exercitu suo tam de Tyranno quàm de omni ejus Factione uno tempore justis Rempublicam ultus est armis arcum triumphis insignem dicavit.
There is no Statue of this Emperor at
Rome
with a Cross to it, tho' the Ecclesiastical Historians say there were many such erected to him. I have seen of his Medals that were stamp'd with it, and a very remarkable one of his Son
Constantius,
where he is Crown'd by a Victory on the Reverse with this Inscription,
In hoc Signo Victor eris
☧. This Triumphal Arch, and some other Buildings of the same Age, show us that Architecture held up its Head after all the other Arts of Designing were in a very weak and languishing Condition, as it was probably the first among them that revived. If I was surprized not to find the Cross in
Constantine
's Arch, I was as much disappointed not to see the Figure of the Temple of
Jerusalem
on that of
Titus,
where are represented the Golden Candlestick, the Table of Shew-bread, and the River
Jordan.
Some are of Opinion, that the composite Pillars of this Arch were made in Imitation of the Pillars of
Solomon
's Temple, and observe that these are the most ancient of any that are found of that Order.
It is almost impossible for a Man to form, in his Imagination, such beautiful and glorious Scenes as are to be met with in several of the
Roman
Churches and Chappels; for having such a prodigious Stock of ancient Marble within the very City, and at the same time so many different Quarries in the Bowels of their Country, most of their Chappels are laid over with such a rich Variety of Incrustations, as cannot possibly be found in any other Part of the World. And notwithstanding the incredible Sums of Mony which have been already laid out this way, there is still the same Work going forward in other Parts of
Rome,
the last still endeavouring to out-shine those that went before them. Painting, Sculpture and Architecture are at present far from being in a flourishing Condition, but 'tis thought they may all recover themselves under the present Pontificate, if the Wars and Confusions of
Italy
will give them leave. For as the Pope is himself a Master of polite Learning, and a great Encourager of Arts, so at
Rome
any of these Arts immediately thrives under the Encouragement of the Prince, and may be fetched up to its Perfection in Ten or a Dozen Years, which is the Work of an Age or Two in other Countries, where they have not such excellent Models to form themselves upon.
I shall conclude my Observations on
Rome,
with a Letter of King
Henry
the Eighth to
Ann
of
Bulleyn,
transcribed out of the famous Manuscript in the Vatican, which the Bishop of
Salisbury
assures us is written with the King's own Hand.
The Cause of my Writing at this Time is to hear of your Health and Prosperity, of which I would be as glad as in manner of my own, praying God that it be his Pleasure to send us shortly together, for I promise I long for it; howbeit I trust it shall not be long too, and seeing my Darling is absent, I can no less do than send her some Flesh, Prognosticating that hereafter thou must have some of mine, which, if he please, I would have now. As touching your Sister's Mother, I have consign'd
Walter Welsh
to write to my Lord
Manwring
my Mind therein, whereby I trust he shall not have Power to disseid her; for surely, whatever is said, it cannot so stand with his Honour, but that he must needs take his natural Daughter in her extreme Necessity. No more to you at this time, my own Darling, but that with a Whistle I wish we were together one Evening; by the Hand of Yours,
HENRY.
These Letters are always shown to an
Englishman
that visits the
Vatican
Library.
TOWNS Within the Neighbourhood of ROME.
I Spent Three or Four Days on
Tivoli, Frescati, Palestrina
and
Albano.
In our way to
Tivoli
I saw the Rivulet of
Solforata,
formerly call'd
Albula,
and smelt the Stench that arises from its Waters some time before I saw them.
Martial
mentions this offensive Smell in an Epigram of the Fourth Book, as he does the Rivulet it self in the First.
Quod siccae redolet lacus lacunae,
Crudarum nebulae quod Albularum,
L. 4. Ep. 4.
The drying Marshes such a Stench convey,
Such the rank Steams of reeking
Albula.
Itur ad Herculeae gelidas quà Tiburis arces,
Canaque sulphureis Albula fumat aquis.
L. 1. Ep. 5.
As from high
Rome
to
Tivoli
you go,
Where
Albula
's sulphureous Waters flow.
The little Lake that gives Rise to this River, with its floating Islands, is one of the most extraordinary natural Curiosities about
Rome.
It lyes in the very Flat of
Campania,
and as it is the Drain of these Parts, 'tis no Wonder that it is so impregnated with Sulphur. It has at Bottom so thick a Sediment of it, that upon throwing in a Stone the Water boils for a considerable time over the Place which has been stirr'd up. At the same time are seen little Flakes of Scurfe rising up, that are probably the Parts which compose the Islands, for they often mount of themselves, tho' the Water is not troubled.
I question not but this Lake was formerly much larger than it is at present, and that the Banks have grown over it by degrees, in the same manner as the Islands have been form'd on it. Nor is it improbable but that, in Process of Time, the whole Surface of it may be crusted over, as the Islands enlarge themselves, and the Banks close in upon them. All about the Lake, where the Ground is dry, we found it to be hollow by the Trampling of our Horses Feet. I could not discover the least Traces of the
Sibyls
Temple and Grove, which stood on the Borders of this Lake.
Tivoli
is seen at a distance lying along the Brow of a Hill. Its Situation has given
Horace
occasion to call it
Tibur Supinum,
as
Virgil
perhaps for the same Reason entitles it
Superbum.
The
Villa de Medicis
with its Water-Works, the Cascade of the
Teverone,
and the Ruins of the
Sibyls
Temple (of which
Vignola
has made a little Copy at
Peters de Montorio
) are described in every Itinerary. I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful Prospect that none of them have mentioned, which lyes at about a Mile distance from the Town. It opens on one Side into the
Roman Campania,
where the Eye loses it self on a smooth spacious Plain. On the other Side is a more broken and interrupted Scene, made up of an infinite Variety of Inequalities and Shadowings, that naturally arise from an agreeable Mixture of Hills, Groves and Vallies. But the most enlivening Part of all is the River
Teverone,
which you see at about a Quarter of a Mile's distance throwing it self down a Precipice, and falling by several Cascades from one Rock to another, 'till it gains the Bottom of the Valley, where the Sight of it would be quite lost, did not it sometimes discover it self thro' the Breaks and Openings of the Woods that grow about it. The
Roman
Painters often work upon this Landskip, and I am apt to believe that
Horace
had his Eye upon it in those Two or Three beautiful Touches which he has given us of these Seats. The
Teverone
was formerly call'd the
Anio.
Me nec tam patiens Lacedaemon,
Nec tam Larissae percussit campus opimae,
Quàm domus Albuneae resonantis,
Et praeceps Anio, et Tiburni lacus, et uda
Mobilibus pomaria rivis.
L. 1. O. 7.
Not fair
Larissa
's fruitful Shore,
Nor
Lacedaemon
charms me more,
Than high
Albunea
's airy Walls
Resounding with her Water-falls,
And
Tivoli
's delightful Shades,
And
Anio
rolling in Caseades,
That through the flow'ry Meadows glides,
And all the beauteous Scene divides.
I remember Monsieur
Dacier
explains
Mobilibus
by
Ductilibus,
and believes that the Word relates to the Conduits, Pipes, and Canals that were made to distribute the Waters up and down, according to the Pleasure of the Owner. But any one who sees the
Teverone
must be of another Opinion, and conclude it to be one of the most
moveable
Rivers in the World, that has its Stream broken by such a Multitude of Cascades, and is so often shifted out of one Channel into another. After a very turbulent and noisie Course of several Miles among the Rocks and Mountains, the
Teverone
falls into the Valley before-mentioned, where it recovers its Temper, as it were, by little and little, and after many Turns and Windings glides peaceably into the
Tiber.
In which Sense we are to understand
Silius Italicus
's Description, to give it its proper Beauty.
Sulphureis gelidus quà serpit leniter undis,
Ad genitorem Anio labens sine murmure Tibrim.
Here the loud
Anio
's boist'rous Clamours cease,
That with submissive Murmurs glides in Peace
To his old Sire the
Tiber
—
At
Frescati
I had the Satisfaction of seeing the First Sketch of
Versailles
in the Walks and Water-Works. The Prospect from it was doubtless much more delightful formerly, when the
Campania
was set thick with Towns, Villas and Plantations.
Cicero
's
Tusculum
was at a Place call'd
Grotto Ferrate,
about Two Miles off this Town, tho' most of the Modern Writers have fix'd it to
Frescati. Nardini
says, there was found among the Ruins at
Grotto Ferrate
a Piece of Sculpture which
Cicero
himself mentions in one of his familiar Epistles. In going to
Frescati
we had a fair View of Mount
Algido.
On our Way to
Palaestrina
we saw the Lake
Regillus,
famous for the Apparition of
Castor
and
Pollux,
who were here seen to give their Horses Drink after the Battel between the
Romans
and the Son-in-Law of
Tarquin.
At some distance from it we had a View of the
Lacus Gabinus,
that is much larger than the former. We left the Road for about half a Mile to see the Sources of a Modern Aqueduct. It is entertaining to observe how the several little Springs and Rills, that break out of the Sides of the Mountain, are glean'd up, and conveyed thro' little covered Channels into the main Hollow of the Aqueduct. It was certainly very lucky for
Rome,
seeing it had occasion for so many Aqueducts, that there chanced to be such a Range of Mountains within its Neighbourhood. For by this means they could take up their Water from what height they pleased, without the Expence of such an Engine as that of
Marli.
Thus the
Claudian
Aqueduct ran Thirty Eight Miles, and sunk after the Proportion of Five Foot and a half every Mile, by the Advantage only of a high Source and the low Situation of
Rome. Palaestrina
stands very high, like most other Towns in
Italy,
for the Advantage of the cool Breezes, for which Reason
Virgil
calls it
Altum,
and
Horace, Frigidum Praeneste. Statius
calls it
Praeneste Sacrum,
because of the Famous Temple of Fortune that stood in it. There are still great Pillars of Granite, and other Fragments of this ancient Temple. But the most considerable Remnant of it is a very beautiful
Mosaic
Pavement, the finest I have ever seen in Marble. The Parts are so well join'd together, that the whole Piece looks like a continued Picture. There are in it the Figures of a Rhinoceros, of Elephants, and of several other Animals, with little Landskips which look very lively and well painted, tho' they are made out of the natural Colours and Shadows of the Marble. I do not remember ever to have met with any old
Roman Mosaic,
composed of little Pieces of Clay half vitrify'd, and prepared at the Glass-Houses, which the
Italians
call
Smalte.
These are much in use at present, and may be made of what Colour and Figure the Work-man pleases, which is a Modern Improvement of the Art, and enables those who are employ'd in it to make much finer Pieces of
Mosaic
than they did formerly.
In our Excursion to
Albano
we went as far as
Nemi,
that takes its Name from the
Nemus Dianae.
The whole Country thereabouts is still over-run with Woods and Thickets. The Lake of
Nemi
lyes in a very deep Bottom, so surrounded on all Sides with Mountains and Groves, that the Surface of it is never ruffled with the least Breath of Wind, which perhaps, together with the Clearness of its Waters, gave it formerly the Name of
Diana
's Looking-Glass.
—Speculumque Dianae.
Virg.
Prince
Caesarini
has a Palace at
Jensano,
very near
Nemi,
in a pleasant Situation, and set off with many beautiful Walks. In our Return from
Jensano
to
Albano
we passed through
la Ricca,
the
Aricia
of the Ancients,
Horace
's First Stage from
Rome
to
Brundisi.
There is nothing at
Albano
so remarkable as the Prospect from the
Capucin
's Garden, which for the Extent and Variety of pleasing Incidents is, I think, the most delightful one that I ever saw. It takes in the whole
Campania,
and terminates in a full View of the Mediterranean. You have a Sight at the same time of the
Alban
Lake, which lyes just by in an Oval Figure of about Seven Miles round, and, by reason of the continued Circuit of high Mountains that encompass it, looks like the
Area
of some vast Amphitheater. This, together with the several green Hills and naked Rocks, within the Neighbourhood, makes the most agreeable Confusion imaginable.
Albano
keeps up its Credit still for Wine, which perhaps would be as good as it was anciently did they preserve it to as great an Age; but as for Olives there are now very few here, tho' they are in great plenty at
Tivoli.
—Albani pretiosa senectus.
Juv. Sat. 13.
Cras bibet Albanis aliquid de montibus aut de
Setinis, cujus patriam titulumque Senectus
Delevit multâ veteris fuligine testae.
Id. Sat. 5.
Perhaps to Morrow he may change his Wine,
And drink old sparkling
Alban,
or
Setine,
Whose Title, and whose Age, with Mould o'er-grown,
The good old Cask for ever keeps unknown.
Mr. Bowles.
—Palladiae seu collibus uteris Albae.
Mar. L. 5. E. 1.
Albanae—Olivae.
Id. L. 9. Ep. 16.
The Places mention'd in this Chapter were all of them formerly the cool Retirements of the
Romans,
where they used to hide themselves among the Woods and Mountains, during the excessive Heats of their Summer; as
Bajae
was the general Winter Rendezvous.
Jam terras volucremque polum fuga veris Aquosi
Laxat, et Icariis coelum latratibus urit.
Ardua jam densae rarescunt moenia Romae:
Hos Praeneste sacrum, nemus hos glaciale Dianae,
Algidus aut horrens, aut Tuscula protegit Umbra,
Tiburis hi lucos, Anienaque frigora captant.
Sil. 4. 1.
Albanos quoque Tusculosque colles
Et quodcunque jacet sub urbe frigus.
Fidenas veteres, brevesque Rubras,
Et quod Virgineo cruore gaudet
Annae pomiferum nemus Perennae.
M. L. 1. E. 123.
All shun the raging Dog-Star's sultry Heat,
And from the half-unpeopled Town retreat:
Some hid in
Nemi
's gloomy Forests lye,
To
Palestrina
some for Shelter fly;
Others to catch the Breeze of breathing Air,
To
Tusculum
or
Algido
repair;
Or in moist
Tivoli
's Retirements find
A cooling Shade, and a refreshing Wind.
On the contrary, at present,
Rome
is never fuller of Nobility than in Summer time; for the Country Towns are so infested with unwholsome Vapours, that they dare not trust themselves in them while the Heats last. There is no question but the Air of the
Campania
would be now as healthful as it was formerly, were there as many Fires burning in it, and as many Inhabitants to manure the Soil. Leaving
Rome
about the latter end of
October,
in my Way to
Sienna,
I lay the first Night at a little Village in the Territories of the ancient
Veii.
Haec tum nomina erant nunc sunt sine nomine Campi.
The Ruins of their Capital City are at present so far lost, that the Geographers are not able to determine exactly the Place where they once stood: So literally is that noble Prophecy of
Lucan
fulfill'd, of this and other Places of
Latium.
—Gentes Mars iste futuras
Obruet, et populos aevi venientis in orbem
Erepto natale feret, tunc omne Latinum
Fabula nomen erit: Gabios, Veïosque, Coramque,
Pulvere vix tectae poterunt monstrare ruinae,
Albanosque lares, Laurentinosque penates
Rus vacuum, quod non habitet nisi noct
coactâ
Invitus—
L. 7.
Succeeding Nations by the Sword shall die,
And swallow'd up in dark Oblivion lye;
Almighty
Latium
with her Cities crown'd,
Shall like an antiquated Fable sound;
The
Veïan
and the
Gabian
Tow'rs shall fall,
And one promiscuous Ruin cover all,
Nor, after length of Years, a Stone betray
The Place where once the very Ruins lay:
High
Alba
's Walls, and the
Lavinian
Strand,
(A lonely Desart, and an empty Land)
Shall scarce afford, for needful Hours of Rest,
A single House to their benighted Guest.
We here saw the Lake
Bacca,
that gives Rise to the
Cremera,
on whose Banks the
Fabii
were slain.
Tercentum numerabat avos, quos turbine Martis,
Abstulit una Dies, cùm fors non aequa labori
Patricio Cremerae maculavit sanguine ripas.
Sil. It. L. 1.
Fabius
a num'rous Ancestry could tell,
Three Hundred Heroes that in Battel fell,
Near the fam'd
Cremera
's disast'rous Flood,
That ran polluted with
Patrician
Blood.
We saw afterwards, in the Progress of our Voyage, the Lakes of
Vico
and
Bolsena.
The last is reckon'd One and Twenty Miles in Circuit, and is plentifully stock'd with Fish and Fowl. There are in it a couple of Islands, that are perhaps the Two floating Isles mentioned by
Pliny,
with that improbable Circumstance of their appearing sometimes like a Circle, and sometimes like a Triangle, but never like a Quadrangle. It is easie enough to conceive how they might become fix'd, tho' they once floated; and it is not very credible, that the Naturalist could be deceived in his Account of a Place that lay, as it were, in the Neighbourhood of
Rome.
At one End of this Lake stands
Montefiascone,
the Habitation of
Virgil
's
Aequi Falisci,
Aen. 7. and on the Side of it the Town of the
Volsinians,
now call'd
Bolsena.
Aut positis nemorosa inter juga Volsiniis.
Juv. Sat. 3.
—
Volsinium
stood
Cover'd with Mountains, and enclos'd with Wood.
I saw in the Church-yard of
Bolsena
an antique Funeral Monument (of that kind which they call'd a
Sarcophagus
) very entire, and what is particular, Engraven
on all Sides
with a curious Representation of a Bacchanal. Had the Inhabitants observed a couple of lewd Figures at one End of it, they would not have thought it a proper Ornament for the Place where it now stands. After having travell'd hence to
Aquapendente,
that stands in a wonderful pleasant Situation, we came to the little Brook which separates the Pope's Dominions from the Great Duke's. The Frontier Castle of
Radicofani
is seated on the highest Mountain in the Country, and is as well fortify'd as the Situation of the Place will permit. We here found the natural Face of the Country quite changed from what we had been entertain'd with in the Pope's Dominions. For instead of the many beautiful Scenes of green Mountains and fruitful Vallies, that we had been presented with for some Days before, we saw now nothing but a wild naked Prospect of Rocks and Hills, worn on all Sides with Gutters and Channels, and not a Tree or Shrub to be met with in a vast Circuit of several Miles. This Savage Prospect put me in Mind of the
Italian
Proverb, that
The Pope has the Flesh, and the Great Duke the Bones of
Italy. Among a large Extent of these Barren Mountains I saw but a single Spot that was cultivated, on which there stood a Convent.
SIENNA, LEGHORNE, PISA.
S IENNA stands high, and is adorn'd with a great many Towers of Brick, which in the Time of the Common-wealth were erected to such of the Members as had done any considerable Service to their Country. These Towers gave us a sight of the Town a great while before we enter'd it. There is nothing in this City so extraordinary as the Cathedral, which a Man may view with Pleasure after he has seen St.
Peters,
tho' 'tis quite of another Make, and can only be look'd upon as one of the Master-pieces of
Gothic
Architecture. When a Man sees the prodigious Pains and Expence, that our Fore-Fathers have been at in these barbarous Buildings, one cannot but fancy to himself what Miracles of Architecture they would have left us, had they only been instructed in the right way; for when the Devotion of those Ages was much warmer than it is at present, and the Riches of the People much more at the Disposal of the Priests, there was so much Mony consumed on these
Gothic
Cathedrals, as would have finish'd a greater Variety of Noble Buildings, than have been raised either before or since that Time.
One would wonder to see the vast Labour that has been laid out on this single Cathedral. The very Spouts are loaden with Ornaments, the Windows are form'd like so many Scenes of Perspective, with a Multitude of little Pillars retiring one behind another, the great Columns are finely engraven with Fruits and Foliage that run twisting about them from the very Top to the Bottom, the whole Body of the Church is chequer'd with different Lays of White and Black Marble, the Pavement curiously cut out in Designs and Scripture-Stories, and the Front cover'd with such a Variety of Figures, and over-run with so many little Mazes and Labyrinths of Sculpture, that nothing in the World can make a prettier Show to those who prefer false Beauties, and affected Ornaments, to a Noble and Majestick Simplicity. Over-against this Church stands a large Hospital, erected by a Shooe-Maker who has been Beatify'd, tho' never Sainted. There stands a Figure of him superscrib'd,
Sutor ultra Crepidam.
I shall speak nothing of the Extent of this City, the Cleanliness of its Streets, nor the Beauty of its Piazza, which so many Travellers have described. As this is the last Republick that fell under the Subjection of the Duke of
Florence,
so is it still supposed to retain many Hankerings after its ancient Liberty: For this Reason, when the Keys and Pageants of the Duke's Towns and Governments pass in Procession before him, on St.
John
Baptist's Day, I was told that
Sienna
comes in the Rear of his Dominions, and is push'd forward by those who follow, to show the Reluctancy it has to appear in such a Solemnity. I shall say nothing of the many gross and absurd Traditions of St.
Catherine
of
Sienna
who is the great Saint of this Place. I think there is as much Pleasure in hearing a Man tell his Dreams, as in reading Accounts of this Nature: A Traveller, that thinks them worth his Observation, may fill a Book with them at every great Town in
Italy.
From
Sienna
we went forward to
Leghorne,
where the Two Ports, the Bagnio, and
Donatelli
's Statue of the Great Duke, amidst the Four Slaves chain'd to his Pedestal, are very noble Sights. The Square is one of the largest, and will be one of the most beautiful in
Italy,
when this Statue is erected in it, and a Town-house built at one End of it to front the Church that stands at the other. They are at a continual Expence to cleanse the Ports, and keep 'em from being choak'd up, which they do by the help of several Engines that are always at work, and employ many of the Great Duke's Slaves. Whatever part of the Harbour they scoop in, it has an Influence on all the rest, for the Sea immediately works the whole Bottom to a Level. They draw a double Advantage from the Dirt that is taken up, as it clears the Port, and at the same time dries up several Marshes about the Town, where they lay it from time to time. One can scarce imagine how great Profits the Duke of
Tuscany
receives from this single Place, which are not generally thought so considerable, because it passes for a Free Port. But, it is very well known how the Great Duke, on a late occasion, notwithstanding the Privileges of the Merchants, drew no small Sums of Mony out of them; tho' still, in respect of the exorbitant Dues that are paid at most other Ports, it deservedly retains the Name of Free. It brings into his Dominions a great Increase of People from all other Nations. They reckon in it near Ten Thousand
Jews,
many of them very Rich, and so great Traffickers, that our
English
Factors complain they have most of our Country Trade in their Hands. 'Tis true the Strangers pay little or no Taxes directly, but out of every thing they buy there goes a large Gabel to the Government. The very Ice-Merchant at
Leghorne
pays above a Thousand Pound Sterling annually for his Privilege, and the Tobacco-Merchant Ten Thousand. The Ground is sold by the Great Duke at a very high Price, and Houses are every Day rising on it. All the Commodities that go up into the Country, of which there are great Quantities, are clogg'd with Impositions as soon as they leave
Leghorne.
All the Wines, Oils, and Silks that come down from the fruitful Vallies of
Pisa, Florence,
and other Parts of
Tuscany,
must make their Way thro' several Duties and Taxes before they can reach the Port. The Canal that runs from the Sea into the
Arno
gives a convenient Carriage to all Goods that are to be shipp'd off, which does not a little enrich the Owners; and in proportion, as private Men grow wealthy, their Legacies, Law-Suits, Daughter's the Portions,
&c.
encrease, in all which the Great Duke comes in for a considerable Share. The
Lucquese,
who Traffick at this Port, are said to bring in a great deal into the Duke's Coffers. Another Advantage, which may be of great use to him, is, that at Five or Six Days warning he might find Credit in this Town for very large summs of Money, which no other Prince in
Italy
can pretend to. I need not take notice of the Reputation that this Port gives him among Foreign Princes, but there is one Benefit arising from it, which, tho' never thrown into the Account, is doubtless very considerable. It is well known how the
Pisans
and
Florentines
long regretted the Loss of their ancient Liberty, and their Subjection to a Family that some of them thought themselves equal to, in the flourishing Times of their Common-wealths. The Town of
Leghorne
has accidentally done what the greatest Fetch of Politicks would have found difficult to have brought about, for it has almost unpeopled
Pisa,
if we compare it with what it was formerly, and every Day lessens the Number of the Inhabitants of
Florence.
This does not only weaken those Places, but at the same time turns many of the busiest Spirits from their old Notions of Honour and Liberty, to the Thoughts of Traffick and Merchandise: And as Men engaged in a Road of Thriving are no Friends to Changes and Revolutions, they are at present worn into a Habit of Subjection, and push all their Pursuits another way. It is no Wonder therefore that the Great Duke has such Apprehensions of the Pope's making
Civita Vecchia
a Free Port, which may in time prove so very prejudicial to
Leghorne.
It would be thought an improbable Story, should I set down the several Methods that are commonly reported to have been made use of, during the last Pontificate, to put a stop to this Design. The Great Duke's Mony was so well bestow'd in the Conclave, that several of the Cardinals dissuaded the Pope from the Undertaking, and at last turn'd all his Thoughts upon the little Port which he made at
Antium,
near
Nettuno.
The chief Work-men that were to have convey'd the Water to
Civita Vecchia
were bought off, and when a poor
Capucin,
that was thought Proof against all Bribes, had undertaken to carry on the Work, he dy'd a little after he had enter'd upon it. The present Pope however, who is very well acquainted with the Secret History, and the Weakness of his Predecessor, seems resolved to bring the Project to its Perfection. He has already been at vast Charges in finishing the Aqueduct, and had some Hopes that, if the War should drive our
English
Merchants from
Sicily
and
Naples,
they would settle here. His Holiness has told some
English
Gentlemen, that those of our Nation should have the greatest Privileges of any but the Subjects of the Church. One of our Countreymen, who makes a good Figure at
Rome,
told me the Pope has this Design extremely at his Heart, but that he fears the
English
will suffer nothing like a Resident or Consul in his Dominions, tho' at the same time he hoped the Business might as well be transacted by one that had no publick Character. This Gentleman has so busied himself in the Affair, that he has offended the
French
and
Spanish
Cardinals, insomuch that Cardinal
Janson
refused to see him when he would have made his Apology for what he had said to the Pope on this Subject. There is one great Objection to
Civita Vecchia,
that the Air of the Place is not wholsome; but this they say proceeds from want of Inhabitants, the Air of
Leghorne
having been worse than this before the Town was well peopled.
The great Profits which have accrued to the Duke of
Florence
from his Free Port have set several of the States of
Italy
on the same Project. The most likely to succeed in it would be the
Genoese,
who lye more convenient than the
Venetians,
and have a more inviting Form of Government than that of the Church, or that of
Florence.
But as the Port of
Genoa
is so very ill guarded against Storms, that no Privileges can tempt the Merchants from
Leghorne
into it, so dare not the
Genoese
make any other of their Ports Free, least it should draw to it most of their Commerce and Inhabitants, and by Consequence ruin their chief City.
From
Leghorne
I went to
Pisa,
where there is still the Shell of a great City, tho' not half furnish'd with Inhabitants. The Great Church, Baptistery, and and Leaning Tower are very well worth seeing, and are built after the same Fancy with the Cathedral of
Sienna.
Half a Day's Journey more brought me into the Republick of
Lucca.
THE REPUBLICK OF LVCCA.
I T is very pleasant to see how the small Territories of this little Republick are cultivated to the best Advantage, so that one cannot find the least Spot of Ground, that is not made to contribute its utmost to the Owner. In all the Inhabitants there appears an Air of Chearfulness and Plenty, not often to be met with in those of the Countries which lye about 'em. There is but one Gate for Strangers to enter at, that it may be known what Numbers of them are in the Town. Over it is written in Letters of Gold,
Libertas.
This Republick is shut up in the Great Duke's Dominions, who at present is very much incensed against it, and seems to threaten it with the Fate of
Florence, Pisa,
and
Sienna.
The Occasion as follows.
The
Lucquese
plead Prescription for Hunting in one of the Duke's Forests, that lyes upon their Frontiers, which about Two Years since was strictly forbidden them, the Prince intending to preserve the Game for his own Pleasure. Two or Three Sportsmen of the Republick, who had the Hardiness to offend against the Prohibition, were seized, and kept in a neighbouring Prison. Their Country-men, to the number of Threescore, attack'd the Place where they were kept in Custody, and rescued them. The Great Duke redemands his Prisoners, and, as a further Satisfaction, would have the Governor of the Town, where the Threescore Assailants had combined together, deliver'd into his Hands; but receiving only Excuses, he resolved to do himself Justice. Accordingly he order'd all the
Lucquese
to be seiz'd that were found on a Market-Day, in one of his Frontier Towns. These amounted to Fourscore, among whom were Persons of some Consequence in the Republick. They are now in Prison at
Florence,
and as it is said, treated hardly enough, for there are Fifteen of the Number dead within less than Two Years. The King of
Spain,
who is Protector of the Common-wealth, received Information from the Great Duke of what had pass'd, who approved of his Proceedings, and order'd the
Lucquese,
by his Governour or
Milan,
to give a proper Satisfaction. The Republick, thinking themselves ill used by their Protector, as they say at
Florence,
have sent to Prince
Eugene
to desire the Emperor's Protection, with an offer of Winter-Quarters, as it is said, for Four Thousand
Germans.
The Great Duke rises on them in his Demands, and will not be satisfy'd with less than a Hundred Thousand Crowns, and a Solemn Ambassy to beg Pardon for the past, and promise Amendment for the future. Thus stands the Affair at present, that may end in the Ruin of the Common-wealth, if the
French
succeed in
Italy.
It is pleasant however to hear the Discourse of the Common People of
Lucca,
who are firmly persuaded that One
Lucquese
can beat Five
Florentines,
who are grown low spirited, as they pretend, by the Great Duke's Oppressions, and have nothing worth fighting for. They say they can bring into the Field Twenty or Thirty Thousand fighting Men, all ready to Sacrifice their Lives for their Liberty. They have Quantity of Arms and Ammunition, but few Horse. It must be own'd these People are more happy, at least in Imagination, than the rest of their Neighbours, because they think themselves so; tho' such a Chimerical Happiness is not peculiar to Republicans, for we find the Subjects of the most absolute Prince in
Europe
are as proud of their Monarch as the
Lucquese
of being subject to none. Should the
French
Affairs prosper in
Italy,
it is possible the Great Duke may bargain for the Republick of
Lucca,
by the help of his great Treasures, as his Predecessors did formerly with the Emperor for that of
Sienna.
The Great Dukes have never yet attempted any thing on
Lucca,
as not only fearing the Arms of their Protector, but because they are well assured, that should the
Lucquese
be reduced to the last Extremities, they would rather throw themselves under the Government of the
Geneose,
or some stronger Neighbour, than submit to a State for which they have so great an Aversion. And the
Florentines
are very sensible, that it is much better having a weak State within their Dominions, than the Branch of one as strong as themselves. But should so formidable a Power, as that of the
French
King, support them in their Attempts, there is no Government in
Italy
that would dare to interpose. This Republick, for the Extent of its Dominions, is esteemed the richest and best peopled State of
Italy.
The whole Administration of the Government passes into different Hands at the End of every Two Months, which is the greatest Security imaginable to their Liberty, and wonderfully contributes to the quick Dispatch of all publick Affairs: But in any Exigence of State, like that they are now pressed with, it certainly asks a much longer time to conduct any Design, for the Good of the Common-wealth, to its Maturity and Perfection.
FLORENCE.
I Had the good Luck to be at
Florence
when there was an Opera acted, which was the Eighth that I had seen in
Italy.
I could not but smile to read the Solemn Protestation of the Poet in the first Page, where he declares that he believes neither in the Fates, Deities, or Destinies; and that if he has made use of the Words, it is purely out of a Poetical Liberty, and not from his real Sentiments, for that in all these Particulars he believes as the Holy Mother Church believes and commands.
PROTESTA.
Le voci Fato, Deità, Destino, e Simili, che per entro questo Drama trovarai, son messe per ischerzo poetico, e non per Sentimento vero, credendo Sempre in tutto quello, che crede, e comanda Santa Madre chiesa.
There are some beautiful Palaces it
Florence
; and as
Tuscan
Pillars and
Rustic
Work owe their Original to this Country, the Architects always take care to give them a Place in the great Edifices that are raised in
Tuscany.
The Duke's new Palace is a very noble Pile, built after this manner, which makes it look extremely Solid and Majestick. It is not unlike that of
Luxemburg
at
Paris,
which was built by
Mary
of
Medicis,
and for that Reason perhaps the Workmen fell into the
Tuscan
Humour. I found in the Court of this Palace what I could not meet with any where in
Rome.
I mean an Antique Statue of
Hercules
lifting up
Antaeus
from the Earth, which I have already had occasion to speak of. It was found in
Rome,
and brought hither under the Reign of
Leo
the Tenth. There are abundance of Pictures in the several Apartments, by the Hands of the greatest Masters.
But 'tis the Famous Gallery of the Old Palace, where are perhaps the noblest Collections of Curiosities to be met with in any Part of the whole World. The Gallery it self is made in the Shape of an L, according to Mr.
Lassel,
but, if it must needs be like a Letter, it resembles the
Greek
Π most. It is adorned with admirable Pieces of Sculpture, as well Modern as Ancient. Of the last Sort I shall mention those that are rarest, either for the Person they represent, or the Beauty of the Sculpture. Among the Busts of the Emperors and Emperesses there are these that follow, which are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.
Agrippa,
Caligula, Otho, Nerva, Aelius Verus,
Pertinax, Geta, Didius, Julianus, Albinus
extremely well wrought, and what is seldom seen in Alabaster,
Gordianus Africanus
the elder,
Eliogabalus, Galien
the elder, and the younger
Pupienus.
I have put
Agrippa
among the Emperors, because he is generally ranged so in Sets of Medals, as some that follow among the Emperesses have no other Right to the Company they are joined with.
Domitia,
Agrippina
Wife of
Germanicus,
Antonia, Matidia, Plotina, Mallia Scantilla,
falsely inscribed under her Bust
Julia Severi, Aquilia Severa, Julia Maesa.
I have generally observed at
Rome,
which is the great Magazine of these Antiquities, that the same Heads which are rare in Medals are also rare in Marble, and indeed one may commonly assign the same Reason for both, which was the Shortness of the Emperor Reigns, that did not give the Work men time to make many of their Figures; and as the Shortness of their Reigns was generally occasioned by the Advancement of a Rival, it is no Wonder that no Body worked on the Figure of a Deceased Emperor, when his Enemy was in the Throne. This Observation however does not always hold. An
Agrippa
or
Caligula,
for Example, is a common Coin, but a very extraordinary Bust; and a
Tiberius
a rare Coin, but a common Bust, which one would the more wonder at, if we consider the Indignities that were offered to this Emperor's Statues after his Death. The
Tiberius in Tiberim
is a known Instance.
Among the Busts of such Emperors as are common enough, there are several in the Gallery that deserve to be taken notice of for the Excellence of the Sculpture, as those of
Augustus, Vespasian,
Adrian, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Geta.
There is in the same Gallery a beautiful Bust of
Alexander
the Great, casting up his Face to Heaven, with a noble Air of Grief or Discontentedness in his Looks. I have seen Two or Three antique Busts of
Alexander
in the same Air and Posture, and am apt to think the Sculptor had in his Thoughts the Conqueror's weeping for new Worlds, or some other the like Circumstance of his History. There is also in
Porphyry
the Head of a Faun, and of the God
Pan.
Among the entire Figures I took particular notice of a Vestal Virgin, with the Holy Fire burning before her. This Statue, I think, may decide that notable Controversie among the Antiquaries, whether the Vestals, after having received the Tonsure, ever suffered their Hair to come again, for it is here full grown, and gathered under the Veil. The Brazen Figure of the Consul, with the Ring on his Finger, reminded me of
Juvenal
's
majoris pondera Gemmae.
There is another Statue in Brass, supposed to be of
Apollo,
with this Modern Inscription on the Pedestal, which I must confess I do not know what to make of.
Ut potui huc veni musis et fratre relicto.
I saw in the same Gallery the Famous Figure of the Wild Boar, the Gladiator, the
Narcissus,
the
Cupid
and
Psyche,
the
Flora,
with some Modern Statues that several others have described. Among the Antique Figures there is a fine one of
Morpheus
in Touchstone. I have always observed, that this God is represented by the ancient Statuaries under the Figure of a Boy asleep, with a Bundle of Poppy in his Hand. I at first took it for a
Cupid,
'till I had taken notice that it had neither Bow nor Quiver. I suppose Doctor
Lister
has been guilty of the same Mistake in the Reflections he makes on what he calls, the sleeping
Cupid
with Poppy in his Hands.
—Qualia namque
Corpora nudorum tabulâ pinguntur Amorum
Talis erat, sed nè faciat discrimina cultus,
Aut huic adde leves aut illis deme pharetras.
Ov. Met. L. 10.
Such are the
Cupids
that in Paint we view;
But that the Likeness may be nicely true,
A loaden Quiver to his Shoulders tie,
Or bid the
Cupids
lay their Quivers by.
'Tis probable they chose to represent the God of Sleep under the Figure of a Boy, contrary to all our Modern Designers, because it is that Age which has its Repose the least broken by Cares and Anxieties.
Statius,
in his celebrated Invocation of Sleep, addresses himself to him under the same Figure.
Crimine quo merui, juvenis placidissime Divûm,
Quove errore miser, donis ut solus egerem
Somne tuis? tacet omne pecus, volucresque feraeque,
&c.
Silv. Li. 5.
Tell me, thou best of Gods, thou gentle Youth,
Tell me my sad Offence; that only I,
While hush'd at Ease thy drowsie Subjects lye,
In the dead Silence of the Night complain,
Nor taste the Blessings of thy peaceful Reign.
I never saw any Figure of Sleep that was not of Black Marble, which has probably some Relation to the Night, that is the proper Season for Rest. I should not have made this Remark, but that I remember to have read in one of the ancient Authors, that the
Nile
is generally represented in Stone of this Colour, because it flows from the Country of the
Ethiopians
; which shows us that the Statuaries had sometimes an Eye to the Person they were to represent, in the Choice they made of their Marble. There are still at
Rome
some of these Black Statues of the
Nile
which are cut in a kind of Touchstone.
Usque coloratis amnis devexus ab Indis.
Virg. Geor. 4. de Nilo.
At one End of the Gallery stand Two antique Marble Pillars, curiously wrought with the Figures of the old
Roman
Arms and Instruments of War. After a full Survey of the Gallery, we were led into Four or Five Chambers of Curiosities that stand on the Side of it. The First was a Cabinet of Antiquities, made up chiefly of Idols, Talismans, Lamps and Hieroglyphics. I saw nothing in it that I was not before acquainted with, except the Four following Figures in Brass.
I. A little Image of
Juno Sispita,
or
Sospita,
which perhaps is not to be met with any where else but on Medals. She is cloathed in a Goats-skin, the Horns sticking out above her Head. The Right Arm is broken that probably supported a Shield, and the Left a little defac'd, tho' one may see it held something in its Grasp formerly. The Feet are bare. I remember
Tully
's Description of this Goddess in the following Words.
Hercle inquit quàm tibi illam nostram Sospitam quam tu nunquam nè in Somniis vides, nisi cum pelle Caprinâ, cum hastâ, cum scutulo, cum calceolis repandis.
IVNONISIS PITAE S C
A Medal of
Juno Sispita.
Vid. Fulv. Ursin. in Familiâ Thoriâ & Porciliâ.
This is a Reverse of
Anton. Pius.
II. An antique Model of the Famous
Laocöon
and his Two Sons, that stands in the
Belvidera
at
Rome.
This is the more remarkable, as it is entire in those Parts where the Statue is maim'd. It was by the help of this Model that
Bandinelli
finished his admirable Copy of the
Laocöon,
which stands at one End of this Gallery.
III. An
Apollo
or
Amphion.
I took notice of this little Figure for the Singularity of the Instrument, which I never before saw in ancient Sculpture. It is not unlike a Violin, and play'd on after the same manner. I doubt howeever whether this Figure be not of a later Date than the rest, by the Meanness of the Workmanship.
IV. A
Corona Radialis
with only Eight Spikes to it. Every one knows the usual Number was Twelve, some say Allusion to the Signs of the
Zodiac,
and others to the Labours of
Hercules.
—Ingenti mole Latinus
Quadrijugo vehitur curru; cui tempora circùm
Aurati bis Sex Radii fulgentia cingunt,
Solis avi Specimen.—
Virg. Aen. 12.
Four Steeds the Chariot of
Latinus
bear:
Twelve Golden Beams around his Temples play,
To mark his Lineage from the God of Day. Mr.
Dryden.
The two next Chambers are made up of several Artificial Curiosities in Ivory, Amber, Crystal, Marble, and precious Stones, which all Voyage-Writers are full of. In the Chamber that is shown last stands the celebrated
Venus
of
Medicis.
The Statue seems much less than the Life, as being perfectly naked, and in Company with others of a larger Make: It is notwithstanding as big as the ordinary size of a Woman, as I concluded from the Measure of her Wrist; for from the Bigness of any one Part it is easie to guess at all the rest, in a Figure of such nice Proportions. The Softness of the Flesh, the Delicacy of the Shape, Air and Posture, and the Correctness of Design in this Statue are inexpressible. I have several Reasons to believe that the Name of the Sculptor on the Pedestal is not so old as the Statue. This Figure of
Venus
put me in Mind of a Speech she makes in one of the
Greek
Epigrams.
,
Anchises, Paris,
and
Adonis
too
Have seen me naked, and expos'd to view;
All these I frankly own without denying:
But where has this
Praxiteles
been prying?
There is another
Venus
in the same Circle, that would make a good Figure any where else. There are among the old
Roman
Statues several of
Venus
in different Postures and Habits, as there are many particular Figures of her made after the same Design. I fancy it is not hard to find among them some that were made after the Three Statues of this Goddess, which
Pliny
mentions. In the same Chamber is the
Roman
Slave whetting his Knife and listning, which from the Shoulders upward is incomparable. The Two Wrestlers are in the same Room. I observed here likewise a very curious Bust of
Annius Verus,
the young Son of
Marcus Aurelius,
who dy'd at Nine Years of Age. I have seen several other Busts of him at
Rome,
tho' his Medals are exceeding rare.
The Great Duke has ordered a large Chamber to be fitted up for old Inscriptions, Urns, Monuments, and the like Sets of Antiquities. I was shown several of them which are not yet put up. There are the Two Famous Inscriptions that give so great a light to the Histories of
Appius,
who made the Highway, and of
Fabius
the Dictator; they contain a short Account of the Honours they pass'd through, and the Actions they performed. I saw too the Busts of
Tranquillina,
Mother to
Gordianus Pius,
and of
Quintus Herennius,
Son to
Trajan Decius,
which are extremely valuable for their Rarity, and a beautiful old Figure made after the celebrated Hermaphrodite in the
Villa Borghese.
I saw nothing that has not been observed by several others in the
Argenteria,
the Tabernacle of St.
Laurence
's Chapel, and the Chamber of Painters. The Chapel of St.
Laurence
will be perhaps the most costly Piece of Work on the Face of the Earth when compleated, but it advances so very slowly, that 'tis not impossible but the Family of
Medicis
may be Extinct before their Burial Place is finish'd.
The Great Duke has lived many Years separate from the Dutchess, who is at present in the Court of
France,
and intends there to end her Days. The Cardinal his Brother is old and infirm, and could never be induced to resign his Purple for the uncertain Prospect of giving an Heir to the Dukedom of
Tuscany.
The Great Prince has been marry'd several Years without any Children, and notwithstanding all the Precautions in the World were taken for the Marriage of the Prince his younger Brother (as the finding out a Lady for him who was in the Vigour and Flower of her Age, and had given Marks of her Fruitfulness by a former Husband) they have all hitherto proved unsuccessful. There is a Branch of the Family of
Medicis
in
Naples
: The Head of it has been own'd as a Kinsman by the Grand Duke, and 'tis thought will succeed to his Dominions, in case the Princes his Sons die Childless; though 'tis not impossible but in such a Conjuncture, the Common-wealths, that are thrown under the Great Dutchy, may make some Efforts towards the Recovery of their ancient Liberty.
I was in the Library of Manuscripts belonging to St.
Laurence,
of which there is a Printed Catalogue. I look'd into the
Virgil
which disputes its Antiquity with that of the
Vatican.
It wants the
Ille ego qui quondam,
&c. and the Twenty Two Lines in the Second
Aeneid,
beginning at
Jamque adeo super unus eram
—I must confess I always thought this Passage left out with a great deal of Judgment by
Tucca
and
Varius,
as it seems to contradict a Part in the Sixth
Aeneid,
and represents the Heroe in a Passion, that is, at least, not at all becoming the Greatness of his Character. Besides, I think the Apparition of
Venus
comes in very properly to draw him away from the Sight of
Priam
's Murder; for without such a Machine to take him off, I can't see how the Heroe could, with Honour, leave
Neoptolemus
triumphant, and
Priam
unrevenged. But since
Virgil
's Friends thought fit to let drop this Incident of
Helen,
I wonder they would not blot out, or alter a Line in
Venus
's Speech, that has a Relation to the Rencounter, and comes in improperly without it.
Non tibi Tyndaridae facies invisa Lacaenae,
Culpatusve Paris—
Aen. 2.
Florence
for Modern Statues I think excels even
Rome,
but these I shall pass over in silence, that I may not Transcribe out of others.
The Way from
Florence
to
Bolonia
runs over several Ranges of Mountains, and is the worst Road, I believe, of any over the
Appennines
; for this was my Third Time of crossing them. It gave me a lively Idea of
Silius Italicus
's Description of
Hannibal
's March.
Quoque magis subiere jugo atque evadere nisi
Erexere gradum, crescit labor, ardua supra
Sese aperit fessis, et nascitur altera moles.
L. 3.
From Steep to Steep the Troops advanc'd with Pain,
In hopes at last the topmost Cliff to gain;
But still by new Ascents the Mountain grew,
And a fresh Toil presented to their View.
I shall conclude this Chapter with the Descriptions which the
Latin
Poets have given us of the
Appennines.
We may observe in them all the remarkable Qualities of this prodigious length of Mountains, that run from one Extremity of
Italy
to the other, and give Rise to an incredible Variety of Rivers that water this delightful Country.
—Nubifer Appenninus.
Ov. Met. L. 2.
—Qui Siculum porrectus ad usque Pelorum
Finibus ab Ligurum populos amplectitur omnes
Italiae, geminumque latus stringentia longè
Utraque perpetuo discriminat aequora tractu.
Clau. de Sexto Cons. Hon.
—Mole nivali
Alpibus aequatum attollens caput Apenninus.
Sil. It. L. 2.
Horrebat glacie Saxa inter lubrica Summo
Piniferum coelo miscens caput Apenninus:
Condiderat Nix alta trabes, et vertice celso
Canus apex strictâ surgebat ad astra pruinâ.
Li. 4. Id.
Umbrosis mediam quà collibus Apenninus
Erigit Italiam, nullo quâ vertice tellus
Altiùs intumuit, propiùsque accessit Olympo,
Mons inter geminas medius se porrigit undas
Inferni superique maris: collesque coercent
Hinc Tyrrhena vado frangentes aequora Pisae,
Illinc Dalmaticis obnoxia fluctibus Ancon.
Fontibus hic vastis immensos concipit amnes,
Fluminaque in gemini spargit divortia ponti.
Luc. L. 2.
In Pomp the shady
Appennines
arise,
And lift th' aspiring Nation to the Skies;
No Land like
Italy
erects the Sight
By such a vast Ascent, or swells to such a Height:
Her num'rous States the tow'ring Hills divide,
And see the Billows rise on either Side;
At
Pisa
here the Range of Mountains ends,
And here to high
Ancona
's Shores extends:
In their dark Womb a Thousand Rivers lye,
That with continu'd Streams the double Sea supply.
Bolonia, Modena, Parma, Turin, &c.
A FTER a very tedious Journey over the
Appennines,
we at last came to the River that runs at the Foot of them, and was formerly call'd the little
Rhine.
Following the Course of this River we arrived in a short time at
Bolonia.
—Parvique Bononia Rheni.
Sil. It. 8.
Bolonia
water'd by the petty
Rhine.
We here quickly felt the Difference of the Northern from the Southern Side of the Mountains, as well in the Coldness of the Air, as in the Badness of the Wine. This Town is Famous for the Richness of the Soil that lyes about it, and the Magnificence of its Convents. It is likewise esteemed the Third in
Italy
for Pictures, as having been the School of the
Lombard
Painters. I saw in it Three Rarities of different kinds, which pleased me more than any other Shows of the Place. The first was an Authentick Silver Medal of the younger
Brutus,
in the Hands of an Eminent Antiquary. One may see the Character of the Person in the Features of the Face, which is exquisitely well cut. On the Reverse is the Cap of Liberty, with a Dagger on each side of it, subscribed
Id. Mar.
for the Ides of
March,
the famous Date of
Caesar
's Murder. The Second was a Picture of
Raphel
's in St.
Giouanni
in
Monte.
It is extremely well preserved, and represents St.
Cecilia
with an Instrument of Musick in her Hands. On one side of her are the Figures of St.
Paul,
and St.
John
; and on the other, of
Mary Magdalene
and St.
Austin.
There is something wonderfully Divine in the Airs of this Picture. I cannot forbear mentioning, for my Third Curiosity, a new Stair-Case that Strangers are generally carryed to see, where the Easiness of the Ascent within so small a Compass, the Disposition of the Lights, and the convenient Landing are admirably well contrived. The Wars of
Italy,
and the Season of the Year, made me pass thro' the Dutchies of
Modena, Parma,
and
Savoy
with more haste than I would have done at another time. The Soil of
Modena
and
Parma
is very rich and well cultivated. The Palaces of the Princes are magnificent, but neither of them is yet finished. We procured a Licence of the Duke of
Parma
to enter the Theater and Gallery, which deserve to be seen as well as any thing of that Nature in
Italy.
The Theater is, I think, the most spacious of any I ever saw, and at the same time so admirably well contrived, that from the very depth of the Stage the lowest Sound may be heard distinctly to the farthest part of the Audience, as in a Whispering Place; and yet if you raise your Voice as high as you please, there is nothing like an Echo to cause in it the least Confusion. The Gallery is hung with a numerous Collection of Pictures, all done by celebrated Hands. On one Side of the Gallery is a large Room adorned with Inlaid Tables, Cabinets, Works in Amber, and other Pieces of great Art and Value. Out of this we were led into another great Room, furnished with old Inscriptions, Idols, Busts, Medals, and the like Antiquities. I could have spent a Day with great Satisfaction in this Apartment, but had only time to pass my Eye over the Medals, which are in great Number, and many of them very rare. The scarcest of all is a
Pescennius Niger
on a Medalion well preserved. It was coined at
Antioch,
where this Emperor trifled away his Time 'till he lost his Life and Empire. The Reverse is a
Dea Salus.
There are Two of
Otho,
the Reverse a
Serapis
; and Two of
Messalina
and
Poppaea
in middle Brass, the Reverses of the Emperor
Claudius.
I saw Two Medalions of
Plotina
and
Matidia,
the Reverse to each a
Pietas
; with Two Medals of
Pertinax,
the Reverse of one
Vota Decennalia,
and of the other
Diis Custodibus
; and another of
Gordianus Africanus,
the Reverse I have forgot.
The Principalities of
Modena
and
Parma
are much about the same Extent, and have each of them Two large Towns, besides a great Number of little Villages. The Duke of
Parma
however is much richer than the Duke of
Modena.
Their Subjects would live in great Plenty amidst so rich and well cultivated a Soil, were not the Taxes and Impositions so very Exorbitant; for the Courts are much too splendid and magnificent for the Territories that lye about them, and one cannot but be amazed to see such a Profusion of Wealth laid out in Coaches, Trappings, Tables, Cabinets, and the like precious Toys, in which there are few Princes of
Europe
who equal them, when at the same time they have not had the Generosity to make Bridges over the Rivers of their Countries for the Convenience of their Subjects, as well as Strangers, who are forced to pay an unreasonable Exaction at every Ferry upon the least Rising of the Waters. A Man might well expect in these small Governments a much greater Regulation of Affairs, for the Ease and Benefit of the People, than in large over-grown States, where the Rules of Justice, Beneficence, and Mercy may be easily put out of their Course, in passing thro' the Hands of Deputies, and a long Subordination of Officers. And it would certainly be for the Good of Mankind to have all the mighty Empires and Monarchies of the World cantoned out into petty States and Principalities, that, like so many large Families, might lye under the Eye and Observation of their proper Governors; so that the Care of the Prince might extend it self to every individual Person under his Protection. But since such a general Scheme can never be brought about, and if it were, it would quickly be destroyed by the Ambition of some particular State aspiring above the rest, it happens very ill at present to be born under one of these petty Soveraigns, that will be still endeavouring, at his Subjects Cost, to equal the Pomp and Grandeur of greater Princes, as well as to out-vie those of his own Rank.
For this Reason there are no People in the World who live with more Ease and Prosperity than the Subjects of little Common-wealths, as on the contrary there are none who suffer more under the Grievances of a hard Government, than the Subjects of little Principalities. I left the Road of
Milan
on my Right Hand, having before seen that City, and after having passed through
Asti,
the Frontier Town of
Savoy,
I at last came within Sight of the
Po,
which is a fine River even at
Turin,
though within Six Miles of its Source. This River has been made the Scene of Two or Three Poetical Stories.
Ovid
has chosen it out to throw his
Phaeton
into it, after all the smaller Rivers had been dryed up in the Conflagration.
I have read some Botanical Criticks, who tell us the Poets have not rightly followed the Traditions of Antiquity in Metamorphosing the Sisters of
Phaeton
into Poplars, who ought to have been turned into Larch-trees; for that it is this kind of Tree which sheds a Gum, and is commonly found on the Banks of the
Po.
The Change of
Cycnus
into a Swan, which closes up the Disasters of
Phaeton
's Family, was wrought on the same Place where the Sisters were turned into Trees. The Descriptions that
Virgil
and
Ovid
have made of it cannot be sufficiently admired.
Claudian
has set off his Description of the
Eridanus,
with all the Poetical Stories that have been made of it.
—Ille caput placidis sublime fluentis
Extulit, et totis lucem spargentia ripis
Aurea roranti micuerunt cornua vultu.
Non illi madidum vulgaris arundine crinem
Velat honos, rami caput umbravere virentes
Heliadum, to tisque fluunt electra capillis.
Palla tegit latos humeros, curruque paterno
Intextus Phaëton glaucos incendit amictus:
Fultaque sub gremio caelatis nobilis astris
Aetherium probat urna decus. Namque omnia luctûs
Argumenta sui Titan signavit Olympo,
Mutatumque senem plumis, et fronde sorores,
Et fluvium, nati qui vulnera lavit anheli.
Stat gelidis Auriga plagis, vestigia fratris
Germanae servant Hyades, Cycnique sodalis
Lacteus extentas aspergit circulus alas.
Stellifer Eridanus sinuatis fluctibus errans
Clara noti convexa rigat.—
Claudian de Sexto Cons. Honorii.
His Head above the Floods he gently rear'd,
And as he rose his golden Horns appear'd,
That on the Forehead shone divinely bright,
And o'er the Banks diffus'd a yellow Light:
No interwoven Reeds a Garland made
To hide his Brows within the vulgar Shade,
But Poplar Wreaths around his Temples spread,
And Tears of Amber trickled down his Head:
A spacious Veil from his broad Shoulders flew,
That set th' unhappy
Phaeton
to view:
The flaming Chariot, and the Steeds it show'd,
And the whole Fable in the Mantle glow'd:
Beneath his Arm an Urn supported lyes,
With Stars embellish'd, and fictitious Skies.
For
Titan,
by the mighty Loss dismay'd,
Among the Heav'ns th' Immortal Fact display'd
Lest the Remembrance of his Grief should fail,
And in the Constellations wrote his Tale.
A Swan in Memory of
Cycnus
shines;
The Mourning Sisters weep in watry Signs;
The burning Chariot, and the Charioteer,
In bright
Boötes
and his Wane appear;
Whilst in a Track of Light the Waters run,
That wash'd the Body of his blasted Son.
The River
Po
gives a Name to the chief Street of
Turin,
which fronts the Duke's Palace, and, when finish'd, will be one of the noblest in
Italy
for its Length. There is one Convenience in this City that I never observed in any other, and which makes some amends for the Badness of the Pavement. By the help of a River, that runs on the upper Side of the Town, they can convey a little Stream of Water through all the most considerable Streets, which serves to cleanse the Gutters, and carries away all the Filth that is swept into it. The Manager opens his Sluce every Night, and distributes the Water into what Quarters of the Town he pleases. Besides the ordinary Convenience that arises from it, it is of great use when a Fire chances to break out, for at a few Minutes warning they have a little River running by the very Walls of the House that is Burning. The Court of
Turin
is reckoned the most splendid and Polite of any in
Italy
; but by reason of its being in Mourning, I could not see it in its Magnificence. The common People of this State are more exasperated against the
French
than even the rest of the
Italians.
For the great Mischiefs they have suffered from them are still fresh upon their Memories, and notwithstanding this Interval of Peace, one may easily trace out the several Marches which the
French
Armies have made through their Country, by the Ruin and Desolation they have left behind them. I passed through
Piemont
and
Savoy,
at a time when the Duke was forced, by the Necessity of his Affairs, to be in Alliance with the
French.
I came directly from
Turin
to
Geneva,
and had a very easie Journey over Mount
Cennis,
though about the Beginning of
December,
the Snows having not yet fallen. On the Top of this high Mountain is a large Plain, and in the midst of the Plain a beautiful Lake, which would be very extraordinary were there not several Mountains in the Neighbourhood rising over it. The Inhabitants thereabout pretend that it is unfathomable, and I question not but the Waters of it fill up a deep Valley, before they come to a Level with the Surface of the Plain. It is well stocked with Trouts, though they say it is covered with Ice Three Quarters of the Year.
There is nothing in the natural Face of
Italy
that is more delightful to a Traveller, than the several Lakes which are dispersed up and down among the many Breaks and Hollows of the
Alps
and
Appennines.
For as these vast Heaps of Mountains are thrown together with so much Irregularity and Confusion, they form a great Variety of hollow Bottoms, that often lye in the Figure of so many artificial Basins; where, if any Fountains chance to rise, they naturally spread themselves into Lakes before they can find any Issue for their Waters. The ancient
Romans
took a great deal of Pains to hew out a Passage for these Lakes to discharge themselves into some neighbouring River, for the bettering of the Air, or the recovering of the Soil that lay underneath them. The Draining of the
Fucinus
by the Emperor
Claudius,
with the prodigious Multitude of Spectators who attended it, and the Famous
Naumachia
and splendid Entertainment which were made upon it before the Sluces were opened, is a known Piece of History. In all our Journey through the
Alps,
as well when we climbed as when we descended them, we had still a River running along with the Road, that probably at first occasioned the Discovery of this Passage. I shall end this Chapter with a Description of the
Alps,
as I did the last with those of the
Appennines.
The Poet perhaps would not have taken notice, that there is no Spring nor Summer on these Mountains, but because in this Respect the
Alps
are quite different from the
Appennines,
which have as delightful Green Spots among them as any in
Italy.
Cuncta gelu canâque aeternùm grandine tecta,
Atque aevi glaciem cohibent: riget ardua montis
Aetherii facies, surgentique obvia Phoebo
Duratas nescit flammis mollire pruinas.
Quantùm Tartareus regni pallentis hiatus
Ad manes imos atque atrae flagna paludis
A superâ tellure patet: tam longa per auras
Erigitur tellus, et coelum intercipit Umbrâ.
Nullum ver usquam, nullique Aestatis honores;
Sola jugis habitat
, sedesqué tuetur
Perpetuas deformis Hyems: illa undique nubes
Huc atras agit et mixtos cum grandine nimbos.
Nam cuncti flatus ventique furentia regna
Alpinâ posuere domo, caligat in altis
Obtutus saxis, abeuntque in nubila montes.
Sil. It. L. 3.
Stiff with Eternal Ice, and hid in Snow,
That fell a Thousand Centuries ago,
The Mountain stands; nor can the rising Sun
Unfix her Frosts, and teach 'em how to run:
Deep as the dark Infernal Waters lye
From the bright Regions of the chearful Sky,
So far the proud ascending Rocks invade
Heav'ns upper Realms, and cast a dreadful Shade:
No Spring nor Summer on the Mountain seen,
Smiles with gay Fruits, or with delightful Green,
But hoary Winter, unadorn'd and bare,
Dwells in the dire Retreat, and freezes there;
There she assembles all her blackest Storms,
And the rude Hail in rattling Tempests forms;
Thither the loud tumultuous Winds resort,
And on the Mountain keep their boist'rous Court,
That in thick Show'rs her rocky Summet shrowds,
And darkens all the broken View with Clouds.
GENEVA AND THE LAKE.
N EAR St.
Julian
in
Savoy
the
Alps
begin to enlarge themselves on all sides, and open into a vast Circuit of Ground, which in Respect of the other Parts of the
Alps
may pass for a plain Champian Country. This Extent of Lands, with the
Leman
Lake, would make one of the prettiest and most defensible Dominions in
Europe
was it all thrown into a single State, and had
Geneva
for its Metropolis. But there are Three powerful Neighbours who divide among them the greatest part of this fruitful Country. The Duke of
Savoy
has the
Chablais,
and all the Fields that lye beyond the
Arve,
as far as to the
Ecluse.
The King of
France
is Master of the whole Country of
Gex
; and the Canton of
Bern
comes in for that of
Vaud. Geneva
and its little Territories lye in the Heart of these Three States. The greatest part of the Town stands upon a Hill, and has its Views bounded on all Sides by several Ranges of Mountains, which are however at so great a Distance, that they leave open a wonderful Variety of beautiful Prospects. The Situation of these Mountains has some particular Effects on the Country, which they enclose. As first, they cover it from all Winds, except the South and North. 'Tis to the last of these Winds that the Inhabitants of
Geneva
ascribe the Healthfulness of their Air; for as the
Alps
surround them on all sides, they form a vast kind of Bason, where there would be a constant Stagnation of Vapours, the Country being so well water'd, did not the North Wind put them in Motion, and scatter them from time to time. Another Effect the
Alps
have on
Geneva
is, that the Sun here rises later, and sets sooner than it does to other Places of the same Latitude. I have often observed that the Tops of the neighbouring Mountains have been covered with Light above half an Hour after the Sun is down, in respect of those who live at
Geneva.
These Mountains likewise very much increase their Summer Heats, and make up a Horizon that has something in it very singular and agreeable. On one Side you have the long Tract of Hills, that goes under the Name of Mount
Jura,
covered with Vineyards and Pasturage, and on the other huge Precipices of naked Rocks rising up in a Thousand odd Figures, and cleft in some Places, so as to discover high Mountains of Snow that lye several Leagues behind them. Towards the South the Hills rise more insensibly, and leave the Eye a vast uninterrupted Prospect for many Miles. But the most beautiful View of all is the Lake, and the Borders of it that lye North of the Town.
This Lake resembles a Sea in the Colour of its Waters, the Storms that are raised on it, and the Ravage it makes on its Banks. It receives too a different Name from the Coasts it washes, and in Summer has something like an Ebb and Flow, which arises from the melting of the Snows that fall into it more copiously at Noon, than at other times of the Day. It has Five different States bordering on it, the Kingdom of
France,
the Dutchy of
Savoy,
the Canton of
Bern,
the Bishoprick of
Sion,
and the Republick of
Geneva.
I have seen Papers fix'd up in the Canton of
Bern,
with this magnificent Preface;
Whereas we have been informed of several Abuses committed in our Ports and Harbours on the Lake,
&c.
I made a little Voyage round the Lake, and touch'd on the several Towns that lye on its Coasts, which took up near Five Days, tho' the Wind was pretty fair for us all the while.
The Right Side of the Lake from
Geneva
belongs to the Duke of
Savoy,
and is extreamly well cultivated. The greatest Entertainment we found in coasting it were the several Prospects of Woods, Vineyards, Meadows, and Corn-Fields which lye on the Borders of it, and run up all the Sides of the
Alps,
where the Barrenness of the Rocks, or the Steepness of the Ascent will suffer them. The Wine however on this side of the Lake is by no means so good as that on the other, as it has not so open a Soil, and is less expos'd to the Sun. We here pass'd by
Yvoire,
where the Duke keeps his Gallies, and lodg'd at
Tonon,
which is the greatest Town on the Lake belonging to the
Savoyard.
It has Four Convents, and they say about six or seven Thousand Inhabitants. The Lake is here about Twelve Miles in Breadth. At a little Distance from
Tonon
stands
Ripaille,
where is a Convent of
Carthusians.
They have a large Forest cut out into Walks, that are extremely thick and gloomy, and very suitable to the Genius of the Inhabitants. There are
Vista
's in it of a great Length, that terminate upon the Lake. At one Side of the Walks you have a near Prospect of the
Alps,
which are broken into so many Steps and Precipices, that they fill the Mind with an agreeable kind of Horror, and form one of the most irregular mis-shapen Scenes in the World. The House that is now in the Hands of the
Carthusians
belong'd formerly to the Hermites of St.
Maurice,
and is famous in History for the Retreat of an Anti-Pope, who call'd himself
Felix
the Fifth. He had been Duke of
Savoy,
and after a very glorious Reign took on him the Habit of a Hermite, and retired into this Solitary Spot of his Dominions. His Enemies will have it, that he lived here in great Ease and Luxury, from whence the
Italians
to this Day make use of the Proverb,
Andare a Ripaglia
; and the
French, Faire Ripaille,
to express a delightful kind of Life. They say too, that he had great Managements with several Eccelesiasticks before he turned Hermite, and that he did it in the View of being advanced to the Pontificate. However it was, he had not been here half a Year before he was chosen Pope by the Council of
Basil
who took upon them to Depose
Eugenio
the Fourth. This promised fair at first, but by the Death of the Emperor, who favoured
Amadeo,
and the Resolution of
Eugenio,
the greatest part of the Church threw it self again under the Government of their deposed Head. Our Anti-Pope however was still supported by the Council of
Basil,
and owned by
Savoy,
Switzerland,
and a few other little States. This Schism lasted in the Church Nine Years, after which
Felix
voluntarily resigned his Title into the Hands of Pope
Nicholas
the Fifth, but on the following Conditions, That
Amadeo
should be the First Cardinal in the Conclave; That the Pope should always receive him standing, and offer him his Mouth to kiss; That he should be perpetual Cardinal-Legate in the States of
Savoy
and
Switzerland,
and in the Archbishopricks of
Geneva, Sion, Bress,
&c. And lastly, That all the Cardinals of his Creation should be recognized by the Pope. After he had made a Peace so acceptable to the Church, and so honourable to himself, he spent the Remainder of his Life with great Devotion at
Ripaille,
and dy'd with an extraordinary Reputation of Sanctity.
At
Tonon
they showed us a Fountain of Water that is in great Esteem for its Wholesomness. They say it weights Two Ounces in a Pound less than the same Measure of the Lake Water, notwithstanding this last is very good to Drink, and as clear as can be imagined. A little above
Tonon
is a Castle and small Garrison. The next Day we saw other small Towns on the Coast of
Savoy,
where there is nothing but Misery and Poverty. The nearer you come to the End of the Lake the Mountains on each side grow thicker and higher, 'till at last they almost meet. One often sees on the Tops of the Mountains several sharp Rocks that stand above the rest; for as these Mountains have been doubtless much higher than they are at present, the Rains have washed away abundance of the Soil, that has left the Veins of Stone shooting out of them; as in a decay'd Body the Flesh is still shrinking from the Bones. The Natural Histories of
Switzerland
talk very much of the Fall of these Rocks, and the great Damage they have sometimes done, when their Foundations have been mouldered with Age, or rent by an Earthquake. We saw in several Parts of the
Alps
that bordered upon us vast Pits of Snow, as several Mountains that lye at a greater Distance are wholly covered with it. I fancy'd the Confusion of Mountains and Hollows, I here observed, furnished me with a more probable Reason than any I have met with for those Periodical Fountains in
Switzerland,
which flow only at such particular Hours of the Day. For as the Tops of these Mountains cast their Shadows upon one another, they hinder the Sun's shining on several Parts at such certain times, so that there are several Heaps of Snow which have the Sun lying upon them Two or Three Hours together, and are in the Shade all the Day afterwards. If therefore it happens that any particular Fountain takes its Rise from any of these Reservoirs of Snow, it will naturally begin to flow on such Hours of the Day as the Snow begins to melt: but as soon as the Sun leaves it again to freeze and harden, the Fountain dries up, and receives no more Supplies 'till about the same time the next Day, when the Heat of the Sun again sets the Snows a running that fall into the same little Conduits, Traces, and Canals, and by Consequence break out and discover themselves always in the same Place. At the very Extremity of the Lake the
Rhone
enters, and, when I saw it, brought along with it a prodigious Quantity of Water; the Rivers and Lakes of this Country being much higher in Summer than in Winter, by reason of the melting of the Snows. One would wonder how so many Learned Men could fall into so great an Absurdity, as to believe this River could preserve it self unmix'd with the Lake 'till its going out again at
Geneva,
which is a Course of many Miles. It was extreamly muddy at its Entrance when I saw it, though as clear as Rock-Water at its going out. Besides, that it brought in much more Water than it carryed off. The River indeed preserves it self for about a Quarter of a Mile in the Lake, but is afterwards so wholly mixed, and lost with the Waters of the Lake, that one discovers nothing like a Stream 'till within about a Quarter of a Mile of
Geneva.
From the End of the Lake to the Source of the
Rhone
is a Valley of about Four Days Journey in Length, which gives the Name of
Vallesins
to its Inhabitants, and is the Dominion of the Bishop of
Sion.
We lodged the Second Night at
Ville Neuve,
a little Town in the Canton of
Bern,
where we found good Accommodations, and a much greater Appearance of Plenty than on the other side of the Lake. The next Day, having passed by the Castle of
Chillon,
we came to
Versoy,
another Town in the Canton of
Bern,
where
Ludlow
retired after having left
Geneva
and
Lausanne.
The Magistrates of the Town warned him out of the First by the Sollicitation of the Dutchess of
Orleans,
as the Death of his Friend
Lisle
made him quit the other. He probably chose this Retreat as a Place of the greatest Safety, it being an easie matter to know what Strangers are in the Town, by Reason of its Situation. The House he lived in has this Inscription over the Door:
Omne solum forti patria quia patris.
The first Part is a Piece of a Verse in
Ovid,
as the last is a Cant of his own. He is buryed in the best of the Churches with the following Epitaph.
Siste gradum et respice
Hic jacet Edmond Ludlow Anglus Natione, Provinciae Wiltoniensis, filius Henrici Equestris Ordinis, Senatorisque Parlamenti, cujus quoque fuit ipse membrum, Patrum stemmate clarus et nobilis, virtute proprià nobilior, Religione protestans et insigni pietate coruscus, Aetatis Anno 23. Tribunus Militum, paulo post exercitûs praetor primarius. Tunc Hibernorum domitor, in pugná intrepidus et vitae prodigus, in victoriâ clemens et mansuetus, patriae Libertatis Defensor, et potestatis Arbitrariae propugnator acerrimus; cujus causâ ab eâdem patriâ 32 annis extorris, meliorique fortuná Dignus apud Helvetios se recepit ibique aetatis Anno 73. Moriens sui de siderium Relinquens sedes aeternas laetus advolavit.
Hocce Monumentum, in perpetuam verae et sincerae pietatis erga Maritum defunctum memoriam, dicat et vovet Domina Elizabeth de Thomas, ejus strenua et maestissima, tam in infortuniis quam in matrimonio, consors dilectissima, quae animi magnitudine et vi amoris conjugalis mota eum in exilium ad obitum usque constanter secuta est. Anno Dom. 1693.
Ludlow
was a constant Frequenter of Sermons and Prayers, but would never Communicate with them either of
Geneva
or
Vevy.
Just by his Monument is a Tombstone with the following Inscription.
Depositorium
Andreae Broughton Armigeri Anglicani Maydstonensis in Comitatu Cantii ubi bis praetor Urbanus. Dignatusque etiam fuit sententiam Regis Regum profari: Quam ob causam expulsus patriâ suâ, peregrinatione ejus finitâ, solo senectutis morbo affectus requiescens a laboribus suis in Domino obdormivit, 23
die Feb. Anno D.
1687.
aetatis suae
84.
The Inhabitants of the Place could give no Account of this
Broughton,
but, I suppose, by his Epitaph, it is the same Person that was Clerk to the pretended High Court of Justice, which passed Sentence on the Royal Martyr.
The next Day we spent at
Lausanne,
the greatest Town on the Lake, after
Geneva.
We saw the Wall of the Cathedral Church that was opened by an Earthquake, and shut again some Years after by a Second. The Crack can but be just discerned at present, though there are several in the Town still living who have formerly passed through it. The Duke of
Schomberg,
who was killed in
Savoy,
lyes in this Church, but without any Monument or Inscription over him.
Lausanne
was once a Republick, but is now under the Canton of
Bern,
and governed, like the rest of their Dominions, by a Baily who is sent them every Three Years from the Senate of
Bern.
There is one Street of this Town that has the Privilege of acquitting or condemning any Person of their own Body, in Matters of Life and Death. Every Inhabitant of it has his Vote, which makes a House here sell better than in any other Part of the Town. They tell you that not many Years ago it happened, that a Cobler had the Casting Vote for the Life of a Criminal, which he very graciously gave on the merciful Side. From
Lausanne
to
Geneva
we coasted along the Country of the
Vaud,
which is the fruitfullest and best cultivated Part of any among the
Alps.
It belonged formerly to the Duke of
Savoy,
but was won from him by the Canton of
Bern,
and made over to it by the Treaty of St.
Julian,
which is still very much regretted by the
Savoyard.
We called in at
Morge,
where there is an artificial Port, and a show of more Trade than in any other Town on the Lake. From
Morge
we came to
Nyon.
The
Colonia Equestris,
that
Julius Caesar
settled in this Country, is generally supposed to have been planted in this Place. They have often dug up old
Roman
Inscriptions and Statues, and as I walked in the Town I observed in the Walls of several Houses the Fragments of vast
Corinthian
Pillars, with several other Pieces of Architecture, which must have formerly belonged to some very Noble Pile of Building. There is no Author that mentions this Colony, yet it is certain by several old
Roman
Inscriptions that there was such an one.
Lucan
indeed speaks of a Part of
Caesar
's Army, that came to him from the
Leman
Lake in the beginning of the Civil War.
Deseruere cavo tentoria fixa Lemanno.
At about Five Miles distance from
Nyon
they show still the Ruins of
Caesar
's Wall, that reached eighteen Miles in Length from Mount
Jura
to the Borders of the Lake, as he has described it in the First Book of his Commentaries. The next Town upon the Lake is
Versoy,
which we could not have an opportunity of seeing, as belonging to the King of
France.
It has the Reputation of being extremely poor and beggarly. We sailed from hence directly for
Geneva,
which makes a very noble Show from the Lake. There are near
Geneva
several Quarries of Freestone that run under the Lake. When the Water is at lowest they make within the Borders of it a little Square enclosed with Four Walls. In this Square they sink a Pit, and dig for Freestone; the Walls hindering the Waters from coming in upon them, when the Lake rises and runs on all Sides of them. The great Convenience of Carriage makes these Stones much cheaper than any that can be found upon firm Land. One sees several deep Pits that have been made at several times as one sails over them. As the Lake approaches
Geneva
it grows still narrower and narrower, 'till at last it changes its Name into the
Rhone,
that turns all the Mills of the Town, and is extremely rapid, notwithstanding its Waters are very deep. As I have seen a great Part of the Course of this River, I cannot but think it has been guided by the particular Hand of Providence. It rises in the very Heart of the
Alps,
and has a long Valley that seems hewn out on purpose to give its Waters a Passage amidst so many Rocks and Mountains which are on all Sides of it. This brings it almost in a direct Line to
Geneva.
It would there overflow all the Country, were there not one particular Cleft that divides a vast Circuit of Mountains, and conveys it off to
Lyons.
From
Lyons
there is another great Rent, which runs across the whole Country in almost another streight Line, and notwithstanding the vast height of the Mountains that rise about it, gives it the shortest Course it can take to fall into the Sea. Had such a River as this been left to it self to have found its way out from among the
Alps,
whatever Windings it had made it must have formed several little Seas, and have laid many Countries under Water before it had come to the End of its Course. I shall not make any Remarks upon
Geneva,
that is a Republick so well known to the
English.
It lyes at present under some Difficulties by reason of the Emperor's Displeasure, who has forbidden the Importation of their Manufactures into any Part of the Empire, which will certainly raise a Sedition among the People, unless the Magistrates find some way to remedy it: and they say it is already done by the Interposition of the States of
Holland.
The Occasion of the Emperor's Prohibition was their furnishing great Sums to the King of
France
for the Payment of his Army in
Italy.
They obliged themselves to remit, after the rate of Twelve Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling,
per Annum,
divided into so many Monthly Payments. As the Interest was very great, several of the Merchants of
Lyons,
who would not trust their King in their own Names, are said to have contributed a great deal under the Names of
Geneva
Merchants. The Republick fancies it self hardly treated by the Emperor, since it is not any Action of the State, but a Compact among private Persons that hath furnished out these several Remittances. They pretend however to have put a stop to them, and by that means are in hopes again to open their Commerce into the Empire.
Fribourg, Bern, Soleurre, Zurich, St. Gaul, Lindaw, &c.
F ROM
Geneva
I travelled to
Lausanne,
and thence to
Fribourg,
which is but a mean Town for the Capital of so large a Canton: Its Situation is so irregular, that they are forced to climb up to several Parts of it by Stair-Cases of a prodigious Ascent. This Inconvenience however gives them a very great Commodity in case a Fire breaks out in any Part of the Town, for by reason of several Reservoirs on the Tops of these Mountains, by the opening of a Sluce they convey a River into what Part of the Town they please. They have Four Churches, Four Convents of Women, and as many for Men. The little Chappel, called the
Salutation,
is very neat, and built with a pretty Fancy. The College of Jesuits is, they say, the finest in
Switzerland.
There is a great deal of Room in it, and several beautiful Views from the different Parts of it. They have a Collection of Pictures representing most of the Fathers of their Order, who have been Eminent for their Piety or Learning. Among the rest many
English
Men whom we name Rebels, and they Martyrs.
Henry Garnet
's Inscription says, That when the Hereticks could not prevail with him, either by Force or Promises, to change his Religion, they Hanged and Quartered him. At the
Capucins
I saw the Escargatoire, which I took the more notice of because I do not remember to have met with any thing of the same in other Countries. It is a square Place boarded in, and filled with a vast quantity of large Snails, that are esteemed excellent Food when they are well dressed. The Floor is strowed about half a Foot deep with several kinds of Plants, among which the Snails nestle all the Winter Season. When
Lent
arrives they open their Magazines, and take out of them the best meagre Food in the World, for there is no Dish of Fish that they reckon comparable to a Ragoût of Snails.
About Two Leagues from
Fribourg
we went to see a Hermitage, that is reckon'd the greatest Curiosity of these Parts. It lyes in the prettiest Solitude imaginable, among Woods and Rocks, which at first Sight dispose a Man to be serious. There has lived in it a Hermite these Five and Twenty Years, who with his own Hands has worked in the Rock a pretty Chappel, a Sacristie, a Chamber, Kitchin, Cellar, and other Conveniences. His Chimney is carry'd up through the whole Rock, so that you see the Sky through it, notwithstanding the Rooms lye very deep. He has cut the Side of the Rock into a Flat for a Garden, and by laying on it the waste Earth that he has found in several of the neighbouring Parts, has made such a Spot of Ground of it as furnishes out a kind of Luxury for a Hermite. As he saw Drops of Water distilling from several Parts of the Rock, by following the Veins of them, he has made himself Two or Three Fountains in the Bowels of the Mountain, that serve his Table, and water his little Garden.
We had very bad Ways from hence to
Bern,
a great Part of them through Woods of Fir-trees. The great Quantity of Timber they have in this Country makes them mend their High-ways with Wood instead of Stone. I could not but take notice of the Make of several of their Barns I here saw. After having laid a Frame of Wood for the Foundation, they place at the Four Corners of it Four huge Blocks; cut in such a Shape as neither Mice nor any other sort of Vermin can creep up the Sides of them, at the same time that they raise the Corn above the Moisture that might come into it from the Ground. The whole weight of the Barn is supported by these Four Blocks.
What pleased me most at
Bern
was their publick Walks by the Great Church. They are raised extremely high, and that their Weight might not break down the Walls and Pilasters which surround them, they are built upon Arches and Vaults. Tho' they are, I believe, as high as most Steeples in
England
from the Streets and Gardens that lye at the Foot of them, yet about Forty Years ago a Person in his Drink fell down from the very Top to the Bottom, without doing himself any other Hurt than the Breaking of an Arm. He dy'd about Four Years ago. There is the noblest Summer-Prospect in the World from this Walk, for you have a full View of a huge Range of Mountains that lye in the Country of the
Grisons,
and are bury'd in Snow. They are about Twenty Five Leagues distance from the Town, though by Reason of their Height and their Colour they seem much nearer. The Cathedral Church stands on one side of these Walks, and is perhaps the most Magnificent of any Protestant Church in
Europe
out of
England.
It is a very bold Work, and a Master-piece in
Gothic
Architecture.
I saw the Arsenal of
Bern,
where they say there are Arms for Twenty Thousand Men. There is indeed no great Pleasure in visiting these Magazines of War after one has seen Two or Three of them, yet it is very well worth a Traveller's while to look into all that lye in his Way; for besides the Idea it gives him of the Forces of a State, it serves to fix in his Mind the most considerable Parts of its History. Thus in that of
Geneva
one meets with the Ladders, Petard, and other Utensils which were made use of in their Famous Escalade, besides the Weapons they took of the
Savoyards, Florentines,
and
French
in the several Battels mentioned in their History. In this of
Bern
you have the Figure and Armour of the Count who founded the Town, of the Famous
Tell,
who is represented as shooting at the Apple on his Son's Head. The Story is too well known to be repeated in this Place. I here likewise saw the Figure and Armour of him that headed the Peasants in the War upon
Bern,
with the several Weapons which were found in the Hands of his Followers. They show too abundance of Arms that they took from the
Burgundians
in the Three great Battels which establish'd them in their Library, and destroy'd the Great Duke of
Burgundy
himself, with the bravest of his Subjects. I saw nothing remarkable in the Chambers where the Council meet, nor in the Fortifications of the Town. These last were made on Occasion of the Peasants Insurrection, to defend the Place for the future against the like sudden Assaults. In their Liberty I observed a couple of antique Figures in Metal, of a Priest pouring Wine between the Horns of a Bull. The Priest is veil'd after the manner of the old
Roman
Sacrificers, and is represented in the same Action that
Virgil
describes in the Third
Aeneid.
Ipsa tenens dextrâ pateram pulcherrima Dido
Candentis vaccae media inter cornua fundit.
This Antiquity was found at
Lausanne.
The Town of
Bern
is plentifully furnish'd with Water, there being a great Multitude of handsome Fountains planted at set Distances from one End of the Streets to the other. There is indeed no Country in the World better supply'd with Water, than the several Parts of
Switzerland
that I travell'd through. One meets every where in the Roads with Fountains continually running into huge Troughs that stand underneath them, which is wonderfully commodious in a Country that so much abounds with Horses and Cattle. It has so many Springs breaking out of the Sides of the Hills, and such vast Quantities of Wood to make Pipes of, that it is no Wonder they are so well stock'd with Fountains.
On the Road between
Bern
and
Soleurre
there is a Monument erected by the Republick of
Bern,
which tells us the Story of an
English
Man, who is not to be met with in any of our own Writers. The Inscription is in
Latin
Verse on one side of the Stone, and in
German
on the other. I had not Time to Copy it, but the Substance of it is this.
One
Cussinus,
an
English
Man, to whom the Duke of
Austria
had given his Sister in Marriage, came to take her from among the
Swiss
by Force of Arms, but after having ravaged the Country for some time, he was here overthrown by the Canton of
Bern.
Soleurre
is our next considerable Town, that seemed to me to have a greater Air of Politeness than any I saw in
Switzerland.
The
French
Ambassador has his Residence in this Place. His Master contributed a great Sum of Mony to the Jesuits Church, which is not yet quite finished. It is the finest Modern Building in
Switzerland.
The old Cathedral Church stood not far from it. At the Ascent that leads to it are a couple of antique Pillars which belonged to an old Heathen Temple, Dedicated to
Hermes
: They seem
Tuscan
by their Proportion. The whole Fortification of
Soleurre
is faced with Marble. But its best Fortifications are the high Mountains that lye within its Neighbourhood, and separate it from the
Franche Comptè.
The next Day's Journey carry'd us through other Parts of the Canton of
Bern,
to the little Town of
Meldingen.
I was surprised to find in all my Road through
Switzerland,
the Wine that grows in the Country of
Vaud
on the Borders of the Lake of
Geneva,
which is very cheap, notwithstanding the great Distance between the Vineyards and the Towns that sell the Wine. But the Navigable Rivers of
Switzerland
are as commodious to them in this Respect, as the Sea is to the
English.
As soon as the Vintage is over, they Ship off their Wine upon the Lake, which furnishes all the Towns that lye upon its Borders. What they design for other Parts of the Country they unload at
Very,
and after about half a Day's Land-Carriage convey it into the River
Aar,
which brings it down the Stream to
Bern, Soleurre,
and, in a Word, distributes it through all the richest Parts of
Switzerland
; as it is easie to guess from the first sight of the Map, which shows us the natural Communication Providence has formed between the many Rivers and Lakes of a Country that is at so great a distance from the Sea. The Canton of
Bern
is reckoned as powerful as all the rest together. They can send a Hundred Thousand Men into the Field; tho' the Soldiers of the Catholick Cantons, who are much poorer, and therefore forced to enter oftner into Foreign Armies, are more esteemed than the Protestants.
We lay one Night at
Meldingen,
which is a little
Roman
Catholick Town with one Church, and no Convent. It is a Republick of it self under the Protection of the Eight ancient Cantons. There are in it a Hundred Bourgeois, and about a Thousand Souls. Their Government is modelled after the same manner with that of the Cantons, as much as so small a Community can imitate those of so large an Extent. For this Reason though they have very little Business to do, they have all the Variety of Councils and Officers that are to be met with in the greater States. They have a Town-House to meet in, adorn'd with the Arms of the Eight Cantons their Protectors. They have Three Councils, the Great Council of Fourteen, the Little Council of Ten, and the Privy Council of Three. The chief of the State are the Two Avoyers: When I was there the Reigning Avoyer, or Doge of the Commonwealth, was Son to the Inn where I was lodged. His Father having enjoy'd the same Honours before him. His Revenue amounts to about Thirty Pound a Year. The several Councils meet every
Thursday
upon Affairs of State, such as the Reparation of a Trough, the mending of a Pavement, or any the like Matters of Importance. The River that runs through their Dominions puts them to the Charge of a very large Bridge, that is all made of Wood, and coped over Head, like the rest in
Switzerland.
Those that travel over it pay a certain Due towards the Maintenance of this Bridge. And as the
French
Ambassador has often occasion to pass this way, his Master gives the Town a Pension of Twenty Pound Sterling, which makes them extremely industrious to raise all the Men they can for his Service, and keeps this powerful Republick firm to the
French
Interest. You may be sure the Preserving of the Bridge, with the Regulation of the Dues arising from it, is the grand Affair that cuts out Employment for the several Councils of State. They have a small Village belonging to them, whither they punctually send a Bailiff for the Distribution of Justice; in Imitation still of the Great Cantons. There are Three other Towns that have the same Privileges and Protectors.
We Dined the next Day at
Zurich,
that is prettily situated on the Out-let of the Lake, and is reckoned the handsomest Town in
Switzerland.
The chief Places shown to Strangers are the Arsenal, the Library, and the Town-House. This last is but lately finished, and is a very fine Pile of Building. The Frontispiece has Pillars of a beautiful Black Marble streaked with White, which is found in the neighbouring Mountains. The Chambers for the several Councils, with the other Apartments are very neat. The whole Building is indeed so well designed, that it would make a good Figure even in
Italy.
It is pity they have spoil'd the Beauty of the Walls with abundance of childish
Latin
Sentences, that consist often in a Jingle of Words. I have indeed observed in several Inscriptions of this Country, that your Men of Learning here are extremely delighted in playing little Tricks with Words and Figures; for your
Swiss
Wits are not yet got out of Anagram and Acrostick. The Library is a very large Room, pretty well filled. Over it is another Room furnished with several artificial and natural Curiosities. I saw in it a huge Map of the whole Country of
Zurich
drawn with a Pensil, where they see every particular Fountain and Hillock in their Dominions. I ran over their Cabinet of Medals, but don't remember to have met with any in it that are extraordinary rare. The Arsenal is better than that of
Bern,
and they say has Arms for Thirty Thousand Men. At about a Day's Journey from
Zurich
we entered on the Territories of the Abbot of St.
Gaul.
They are Four Hours Riding in Breadth, and Twelve in Length. The Abbot can raise in it an Army of Twelve Thousand Men well armed and exercised. He is Soveraign of the whole Country, and under the Protection of the Cantons of
Zurich, Lucerne, Glaris
and
Switz.
He is always chosen out of the Abby of
Benedictines
at St.
Gaul.
Every Father and Brother of the Convent has a Voice in the Election, which must afterwards be confirmed by the Pope. The last Abbot was Cardinal
Sfondrati,
who was advanced to the Purple about Two Years before his Death. The Abbot takes the Advice and Consent of his Chapter before he enters on any Matter of Importance, as the levying of a Tax, or declaring of a War. His chief Lay-Officer is the Grand
Maître d' Hôtel,
or High-Steward of the Houshold, who is named by the Abbot, and has the Management of all Affairs under him. There are several other Judges and Distributers of Justice appointed for the several Parts of his Dominions, from whom there always lyes an Appeal to the Prince. His Residence is generaliy at the
Benedictine
Convent at St.
Gaul,
notwithstanding the Town of St.
Gaul
is a little Protestant Republick, wholly independent of the Abbot, and under the Protection of the Cantons.
One would wonder to see so many rich Bourgeois in the Town of St.
Gaul,
and so very few poor People in a Place that has scarce any Lands belonging to it, and little or no Income but what arises from its Trade. But the great Support and Riches of this little State is its Linnen Manufacture, which employs almost all Ages and Conditions of its Inhabitants. The whole Country about them furnishes them with vast Quantities of Flax, out of which they are said to make yearly Forty Thousand Pieces of Linnen Cloath, reckoning Two Hundred Ells to the Piece. Some of their Manufacture is as finely wrought as any that can be met with in
Holland
; for they have Excellent Artizans, and great Commodities for Whitening. All the Fields about the Town were so covered with their Manufacture, that coming in the Dusk of the Evening we mistook them for a Lake. They send off their Works upon Mules into
Italy,
Spain, Germany,
and all the adjacent Countries. They reckon in the Town of St.
Gaul,
and in the Houses that lye scattered about it, near Ten Thousand Souls, of which there are Sixteen Hundred Burgeois. They chuse their Councils and Burgo-Masters out of the Body of the Burgeois, as in the other Governments of
Switzerland,
which are every where of the same Nature, the difference lying only in the Numbers of such as are employed in State Affairs, which are proportioned to the Grandeur of the States that employ them. The Abby and the Town bear a great Aversion to one another; but in the General Diet of the Cantons their Representatives sit together, and act by Concert. The Abbot deputes his
Grand Maître d' Hôtel,
and the Town one of its Burgo-Masters.
About Four Years ago the Town and Abby wou'd have come to an open Rupture, had it not been timely prevented by the Interposition of their common Protectors. The Occasion was this, A
Benedictine
Monk, in one of their annual Processions, carried his Cross erected through the Town with a Train of Three or Four Thousand Peasants following him. They had no sooner entered the Convent but the whole Town was in a Tumult, occasion'd by the Insolence of the Priest, who, contrary to all Precedents, had presumed to carry his Cross in that manner. The Burgeois immediately put themselves in Arms, and drew down Four Pieces of their Cannon to the Gates of the Convent. The Procession to escape the Fury of the Citizens durst not return by the Way it came, but after the Devotions of the Monks were finish'd, pass'd out at a Back-door of the Convent, that immediately led into the Abbot's Territories. The Abbot on his Part raises an Army, blocks up the Town on the Side that faces his Dominions, and forbids his Subjects to furnish it with any of their Commodities. While things were just ripe for a War, the Cantons, their Protectors, interpos'd as Umpires in the Quarrel, condemning the Town that had appear'd too forward in the Dispute to a Fine of Two Thousand Crowns; and Enacting at the same time, That as soon as any Procession enter'd their Walls, the Priest should let the Cross hang about his Neck without touching it with either Hand, 'till he came within the Precincts of the Abby. The Citizens could bring into the Field near Two Thousand Men well exercis'd, and arm'd to the best Advantage, with which they fancy they could make Head against Twelve or Fifteen Thousand Peasants, for so many the Abbot could easily raise in his Territories. But the Protestant Subjects of the Abby, who they say make up a good Third of its People, would probably, in case of a War, abandon the Cause of their Prince for that of their Religion. The Town of St.
Gaul
has an Arsenal, Library, Town-Houses, and Churches proportionable to the Bigness of the State. It is well enough fortify'd to resist any sudden Attack, and to give the Cantons time to come to their Assistance. The Abby is by no means so Magnificent as one would expect from its Endowments. The Church is one huge Nef with a double Aisle to it. At each End is a large Quire. The one of them is supported by vast Pillars of Stone, cas'd over with a Composition that looks the most like Marble of any thing one can imagine. On the Cieling and Walls of the Church are Lists of Saints, Martyrs, Popes, Cardinals, Arch-Bishops, Kings and Queens that have been of the
Benedictine
Order. There are several Pictures of such as have been distinguish'd by their Birth, Sanctity, or Miracles, with Inscriptions that let you into the Name and History of the Persons represented. I have often wish'd that some Traveller would take the Pains to gather together all the Modern Inscriptions which are to be met with in
Roman
Catholick Countries, as
Gruter
and others have copy'd out the ancient Heathen Monuments. Had we Two or Three Volumes of this Nature, without any of the Collector's own Reflections, I am sure there is nothing in the World could give a truer Idea of the
Roman
Catholick Religion, nor expose more the Pride, Vanity and Self-Interest of Convents, the Abuse of Indulgencies, the Folly and Impertinence of Votaries, and in short the Superstition, Credulity, and Childishness of the
Roman
Catholick Religion. One might fill several Sheets at St.
Gaul,
as there are few considerable Convents or Churches that would not afford large Contributions.
As the King of
France
distributes his Pensions through all the Parts of
Switzerland,
the Town and Abby of St.
Gaul
come in too for their Share. To the First he gives Five Hundred Crowns
per Annum,
and to the other a Thousand. This Pension has not been paid these Three Years, which they attribute to their not acknowledging the Duke of
Anjou
for King of
Spain.
The Town and Abby of St.
Gaul
carry a Bear for their Arms. The
Roman
Catholicks have this Bear's Memory in very great Veneration, and represent him as the first Convert their Saint made in the Country. One of the most Learned of the
Benedictine
Monks gave me the following History of him, which he deliver'd to me with Tears of Affection in his Eyes. St.
Gaul
it seems, whom they call the great Apostle of
Germany,
found all this Country little better than a vast Desart. As he was walking in it on a very cold Day he chanc'd to meet a Bear in his Way. The Saint, instead of being startled at the Rencounter, order'd the Bear to bring him a Bundle of Wood, and make him a Fire. The Bear serv'd him to the best of his Ability, and at his Departure was commanded by the Saint to retire into the very Depth of the Woods, and there to pass the rest of his Life without ever hurting Man or Beast. From this time, says the Monk, the Bear liv'd irreproachably, and observ'd to his dying Day the Orders that the Saint had given him.
I have often consider'd, with a great deal of Pleasure, the profound Peace and Tranquillity that reigns in
Switzerland
and its Alliances. It is very wonderful to see such a Knot of Governments, which are so divided among themselves in Matters of Religion, maintain so uninterrupted an Union and Correspondance, that no one of them is for Invading the Rights of another, but remains content within the Bounds of its First Establishment. This, I think, must be chiefly ascribed to the Nature of the People, and the Constitution of their Governments. Were the
Swiss
animated by Zeal or Ambition, some or other of their States would immediately break in upon the rest; or were the States so many Principalities, they might often have an ambitious Soveraign at the Head of them, that would embroil his Neighbours, and sacrifice the Repose of his Subjects to his own Glory. But as the Inhabitants of these Countries are naturally of a heavy Phlegmatick Temper, if any of their leading Members have more Fire and Spirit than comes to their Share, it is quickly temper'd by the Coldness and Moderation of the rest who sit at the Helm with them. To this we may add, that the
Alps
is the worst Spot of Ground in the World to make Conquests in, a great Part of its Governments being so naturally intrench'd among Woods and Mountains. However it be, we find no such Disorders among them as one would expect in such a Multitude of States; for as soon as any Publick Rupture happens, it is immediately clos'd up by the Moderation and good Offices of the rest that interpose.
As all the considerable Governments among the
Alps
are Common-wealths, so indeed it is a Constitution the most adapted of any other to the Poverty and Barrenness of these Countries. We may see only in a neighbouring Government the ill Consequences of having a Despotic Prince, in a State that is most of it composed of Rocks and Mountains; for notwithstanding there is a vast Extent of Lands, and many of them better than those of the
Swiss
and
Grisons,
the common People, among the latter, are much more at their Ease, and in a greater Affluence of all the Conveniences of Life. A Prince's Court eats too much into the Income of a poor State, and generally introduces a kind of Luxury and Magnificence, that sets every particular Person upon making a higher Figure in his Station than is generally consistent with his Revenue.
It is the great Endeavour of the several Cantons of
Switzerland,
to banish from among them every thing that looks like Pomp or Superfluity. To this End the Ministers are always Preaching, and the Governors putting out Edicts against Dancing, Gaming, Entertainments, and fine Cloaths. This is become more necessary in some of the Governments, since there are so many Refugees settled among them; for tho' the Protestants in
France
affect ordinarily a greater Plainness and Simplicity of Manners, than those of the same Quality who are of the
Roman
Catholick Communion, they have however too much of their Country-Gallantry for the Genius and Constitution of
Switzerland.
Should Dressing, Feasting, and Balls once get among the Cantons, their Military Roughness would be quickly lost, their Tempers would grow too soft for their Climate, and their Expences out-run their Incomes, besides that the Materials for their Luxury must be brought from other Nations, which would immediately ruin a Country that has few Commodities of its own to export, and is not over-stock'd with Mony. Luxury indeed wounds a Republick in its very Vitals, as its natural Consequences are Rapine, Avarice and Injustice; for the more Mony a Man spends, the more must he endeavour to augment his Stock; which at last sets the Liberty and Votes of a Common-wealth to Sale, if they find any Foreign Power that is able to pay the Price of them. We see no where the pernicious Effects of Luxury on a Republick more than in that of the ancient
Romans,
who immediately found it self poor as soon as this Vice got Footing among them, though they were possess'd of all the Riches in the World. We find in the Beginnings and Increases of their Common-wealth strange Instances of the Contempt of Mony, because indeed they were utter Strangers to the Pleasures that might be procured by it; or in other Words, because they were wholly ignorant of the Arts of Luxury. But as soon as they once enter'd into a Taste of Pleasure, Politeness and Magnificence, they fell into a Thousand Violences, Conspiracies, and Divisions that threw them into all the Disorders imaginable, and terminated in the utter Subversion of the Common-wealth. It is no wonder therefore the poor Common-wealths of
Switzerland
are ever labouring at the Suppression and Prohibition of every thing that may introduce Vanity and Luxury. Beside the several Fines that are set upon Plays, Games, Balls and Feastings, they have many Customs among them which very much contribute to the keeping up of their ancient Simplicity. The Bourgeois, who are at the Head of the Governments, are obliged to appear at all their publick Assemblies in a Black Cloak and a Band. The Womens Dress is very plain, those of the best Quality wearing nothing on their Heads generally but Furs, which are to be met with in their own Country. The Persons of different Qualities in both Sexes are indeed allowed their different Ornaments, but these are generally such as are by no means costly, being rather designed as Marks of Distinction than to make a Figure. The chief Officers of
Bern,
for Example, are known by the Crowns of their Hats, which are much deeper than those of an inferior Character. The Peasants are generally cloathed in a coarse kind of Canvas, that is the Manufacture of the Country. Their Holy-day Cloaths go from Father to Son, and are seldom worn out, 'till the Second or Third Generation: So that it is common enough to see a Countryman in the Doublet and Breeches of his Great-grand-father.
Geneva
is much politer than
Switzerland,
or any of its Allies, and is therefore looked upon as the Court of the
Alps,
whither the Protestant Cantons often send their Children to improve themselves in Language and Education. The
Genevois
have been very much refin'd, or as others will have it, corrupted by the Conversation of the
French
Protestants, who make up almost a Third of their People. It is certain they have very much forgotten the Advice that
Calvin
gave them in a great Council a little before his Death, when he recommended to them, above all Things, an Exemplary Modesty and Humility, and as great a Simplicity in their Manners as in their Religion. Whether or no they have done well, to set up for making another kind of Figure, Time will witness. There are several that fancy the great Sums they have remitted into
Italy,
though by this means they make their Court to the King of
France
at present, may some time or other give him an Inclination to become the Master of so wealthy a City.
As this Collection of little States abounds more in Pasturage than in Corn, they are all provided with their publick Granaries, and have the Humanity to furnish one another in publick Exigencies, when the Scarcity is not Universal. As the Administration of Affairs relating to these publick Granaries, is not very different in any of the particular Governments, I shall content my self to set down the Rules observed in it by the little Common-wealth of
Geneva,
in which I had more Time to inform my self of the Particulars than in any other. There are Three of the Little Council deputed for this Office. They are obliged to keep together a Provision sufficient to feed the People at least Two Years, in case of War or Famine. They must take care to fill their Magazines in Times of the greatest Plenty, that so they may afford cheaper, and increase the publick Revenue at a small Expence of its Members. None of the Three Managers must, upon any Pretence, furnish the Granaries from his own Fields, that so they may have no Temptation to pay too great a Price, or put any bad Corn upon the Publick. They must buy up no Corn growing within Twelve Miles of
Geneva,
that so the filling of their Magazines may not prejudice their Market, and raise the Price of their Provisions at Home. That such a Collection of Corn may not spoil in keeping, all the Inns and Publick-Houses are obliged to furnish themselves out of it, by which means is raised the most considerable Branch of the publick Revenues; the Corn being sold out at a much dearer Rate than 'tis bought up. So that the greatest Income of the Common-wealth, which pays the Pensions of most of its Officers and Ministers, is raised on Strangers and Travellers, or such of their own Body as have Mony enough to spend at Taverns and Publick-Houses.
It is the Custom in
Geneva
and
Switzerland
to divide their Estates equally among all their Children, by which means every one lives at his Ease without growing dangerous to the Republick, for as soon as an overgrown Estate falls into the Hands of one that has many Children, it is broken into so many Portions as render the Sharers of it Rich enough, without raising them too much above the Level of the rest. This is absolutely necessary in these little Republicks, where the Rich Merchants live very much within their Estates, and by heaping up vast Sums from Year to Year might become formidable to the rest of their Fellow-Citizens, and break the Equality, which is so necessary in these kinds of Governments, were there not means found out to distribute their Wealth among several Members of their Republick. At
Geneva,
for Instance, are Merchants reckon'd worth Twenty Hundred Thousand Crowns, though, perhaps, there is not one of them who spends to the value of Five Hundred Pounds a Year.
Though the Protestants and Papists know very well that it is their common Interest to keep a steddy Neutrality in all the Wars between the States of
Europe,
they cannot forbear siding with a Party in their Discourse. The Catholicks are zealous for the
French
King, as the Protestants do not a little glory in the Riches, Power, and good Success of the
English
and
Dutch,
whom they look upon as the Bulwarks of the Reformation. The Ministers in particular, have often preached against such of their Fellow-Subjects as enter into the Troops of the
French
King; but so long as the
Swiss
see their Interest in it, their Poverty will always hold them fast to his Service. They have indeed the Exercise of their Religion, and their Ministers with them, which is the more remarkable, because the very same Prince, refused even those of the Church of
England,
who follow'd their Master to St.
Germains,
the publick Exercise of their Religion.
Before I leave
Switzerland
I cannot but observe, that the Notion of Witchcraft reigns very much in this Country. I have often been tired with Accounts of this Nature from very sensible Men, that are most of them furnish'd with Matters of Fact which have happened, as they pretend, within the compass of their own Knowledge. It is certain there have been many Executions on this Account, as in the Canton of
Bern
there were some put to Death during my Stay at
Geneva.
The People are so universally infatuated with the Notion, that if a Cow falls sick, it is Ten to One but an Old Woman is clapt up in Prison for it, and if the poor Creature chance to think her self a Witch, the whole Country is for hanging her up without Mercy. One finds indeed the same Humour prevail in most of the rocky Barren Parts of
Europe.
Whether it be that Poverty and Ignorance, which are generally the Products of these Countries, may really engage a Wretch in such dark Practices, or whether or no the same Principles may not render the People too credulous, and perhaps too easy to get rid of some of their unprofitable Members.
A great Affair that employs the
Swiss
Politicks at present is the Prince of
Conti
's Succession to the Dutchess of
Nemours
in the Government of
Neuf-Chatel.
The Inhabitants of
Neuf-Chatel
can by no means think of submitting themselves to a Prince who is a
Roman
Catholick, and a Subject of
France.
They were very attentive to his Conduct in the Principality of
Orange,
which they did not question but he would Rule with all the Mildness and Moderation imaginable, as it would be the best Means in the World to recommend him to
Neuf-Chatel.
But notwithstanding it was so much his Interest to manage his Protestant Subjects in that Country, and the strong Assurances he had given them in protecting them in all their Privileges, and particularly in the free Exercise of their Religion, he made over his Principality in a very little time for a Sum of Mony to the King of
France.
It is indeed generally believed the Prince of
Conti
would rather still have kept his Title to
Orange,
but the same Respect which induced him to quit this Government, might at another time tempt him to give up that of
Neuf-Chatel
on the like Conditions. The King of
Prussia
lays in his claim for
Neuf-Chatel,
as he did for the Principality of
Orange,
and 'tis probable would be more acceptable to the Inhabitants than the other, but they are generally dispos'd to declare themselves a Free Common-wealth, after the Death of the Dutchess of
Nemours,
if the
Swiss
will support them. The Protestant Cantons seem much inclin'd to assist them, which they may very well do, in case the Dutchess dies whilst the King of
France
has his Hands so full of Business on all sides of him. It certainly very much concerns them not to suffer the
French
King to Establish his Authority on this side Mount
Jura,
and on the very Borders of their Country; but it is not easie to foresee what a round Sum of Mony, or the Fear of a Rupture with
France,
may do among a People who have tamely suffer'd the
Franche Comptè
to be seiz'd on, and a Fort to be built within Cannon-shot of one of their Cantons.
There is a new Sect sprung up in
Switzerland,
which spreads very much in the Protestant Cantons. The Professors of it call themselves
Pietists,
and as Enthusiasm carries Men generally to the like Extravagancies, they differ but little from several Sectaries in other Countries. They pretend in general to great Refinements, as to what regards the Practice of Christianity, and to observe the following Rules. To retire much from the Conversation of the World. To sink themselves into an entire Repose and Tranquillity of Mind. In this State of Silence to attend the secret Illapse and Flowings in of the Holy Spirit, that may fill their Minds with Peace and Consolation, Joys or Raptures. To favour all his secret Intimations, and give themselves up entirely to his Conduct and Direction, so as neither to speak, move, or act, but as they find his Impulse on their Souls. To retrench themselves within the Conveniencies and Necessities of Life. To make a Covenant with all their Senses, so far as to shun the Smell of a Rose or Violet, and to turn away their Eyes from a beautiful Prospect. To avoid, as much as is possible, what the World calls Innocent Pleasures, lest they should have their Affections tainted by any Sensuality, and diverted from the Love of him who is to be the only Comfort, Repose, Hope, and Delight, of their whole Beings. This Sect prevails very much among the Protestants of
Germany,
as well as those of
Switzerland,
and has occasion'd several Edicts against it in the Dutchy of
Saxony.
The Professors of it are accus'd of all the ill Practices which may seem to be the Consequence of their Principles, as that they ascribe the worst of Actions, which their own vicious Tempers throw them upon, to the Dictates of the Holy Spirit; that both Sexes under Pretence of Devout Conversation visit one another at all Hours, and in all Places, without any regard to common Decency, often making their Religion a Cover for their Immoralities; and that the very best of them are possess'd with Spiritual Pride, and a Contempt for all such as are not of their own Sect. The
Roman
Catholicks, who reproach the Protestants for their breaking into such a Multitude of Religions, have certainly taken the most effectual way in the World for the keeping their Flocks together; I don't mean the Punishments they inflict on Mens Persons, which are commonly look'd upon as the chief Methods by which they deter them from breaking through the Pale of the Church, though certainly these lay a very great Restraint on those of the
Roman
Catholick Persuasion. But I take one great Cause why there are so few Sects in the Church of
Rome,
to be the Multitude of Convents, with which they every where abound, that serve as Receptacles for all those fiery Zealots who would set the Church in a Flame, were not they got together in these Houses of Devotion. All Men of dark Tempers, according to their Degree of Melancholy or Enthusiasm, may find Convents fitted to their Humours, and meet with Companions as gloomy as themselves. So that what the Protestants would call a Fanatick, is in the
Roman
Church a Religious of such or such an Order; as I have been told of an
English
Merchant at
Lisbon,
who after some great Disappointments in the World was resolv'd to turn Quaker or Capuchin; for, in the Change of Religion, Men of ordinary Understandings don't so much consider the Principles, as the Practice of those to whom they go over.
From St.
Gaul
I took Horse to the Lake of
Constance,
which lyes at Two Leagues Distance from it, and is form'd by the Entry of the
Rhine.
This is the only Lake in
Europe
that disputes for Greatness with that of
Geneva
; it appears more beautiful to the Eye, but wants the fruitful Fields and Vineyards that border upon the other. It receives its Name from
Constance,
the chief Town on its Banks. When the Cantons of
Bern
and
Zurich
proposed, at a general Diet, the Incorporating
Geneva
in the Number of the Cantons, the
Roman
Catholick Party, fearing the Protestant Interest might receive by it too great a Strengthning, proposed at the same time the Incantoning of
Constance,
as a Counterpoise; to which the Protestants not consenting, the whole Project fell to the Ground. We cross'd the Lake to
Lindaw,
and in several Parts of it observed abundance of little Bubbles of Air, that came working upward from the very Bottom of the Lake. The Watermen told us, that they are observed always to rise in the same Places, from whence they conclude them to be so many Springs that break out of the Bottom of the Lake.
Lindaw
is an Imperial Town on a little Island that lyes at about Three Hundred Paces from the firm Land, to which it is join'd by a huge Bridge of Wood. The Inhabitants were all in Arms when we pass'd through it, being under great Apprehensions of the Duke of
Bavaria,
after his having fallen upon
Ulm
and
Memminghen.
They flatter themselves, that by cutting their Bridge they could hold out against his Army: But, in all Probability, a Shower of Bombs would quickly reduce the Burgeois to Surrender. They were formerly Bombarded by
Gustavus Adolphus.
We were advis'd by our Merchants, by no means to venture our selves in the Duke of
Bavaria
's Country, so that we had the Mortification to lose the Sight of
Munich, Ausburg,
and
Ratisbon,
and were forced to take our Way to
Vienna
through the
Tirol,
where we had very little to Entertain us besides the natural Face of the Country.
TIROL, INSPRUCK, HALL, &c.
A FTER having coasted the
Alps
for some time, we at last entered them by a Passage which leads into the long Valley of the
Tirol,
and following the Course of the River
Inn
we came to
Inspruck,
that receives its Name from this River, and is the Capital City of the
Tirol.
Inspruck
is a handsome Town, though not a great one, and was formerly the Residence of the Arch-Dukes who were Counts of
Tirol
: The Palace where they used to keep their Court is rather Convenient than Magnificent. The great Hall is indeed a very noble Room, the Walls of it are painted in
Fresco,
and represent the Labours of
Hercules.
Many of them look very finely, though a great part of the Work has been crack'd by Earthquakes, which are very frequent in this Country. There is a little Wooden Palace that borders on the other, whither the Court used to retire at the first shake of an Earthquake. I saw here the largest Menage that I have met with any where else. At one End of it is a great Partition designed for an Opera. They showed us also a very pretty Theatre. The last Comedy that was acted on it was designed by the Jesuits for the Entertainment of the Queen of the
Romans,
who pass'd this way from
Hanover
to
Vienna.
The Compliment which the Fathers made her Majesty on this occasion was very particular, and did not a little expose them to the Raillery of the Court. For the Arms of
Hanover
being a Horse, the Fathers thought it a very pretty Allusion to represent the Queen by
Bucephalus,
that would let no Body get upon him but
Alexander
the Great. The Wooden Horse that acted this nobtale Part is still to be seen behind the Scenes. In one of the Rooms of the Palace which is hung with the Pictures of several Illustrious Persons, they showed us the Portrait of
Mary
Queen of the
Scots,
who was beheaded in the Reign of Queen
Elizabeth.
The Gardens about the House are very large, but ill kept. There is in the middle of them a beautiful Statue in Brass of an Arch-Duke
Leopold
on Horseback. There are near it Twelve other Figures of Water-Nymphs and River-Gods well Cast, and as big as the Life. They were designed for the Ornaments of a Water-Work, as one might easily make a great Variety of Jetteaus at a small Expence in a Garden that has the River
Inn
running by its Walls. The late Duke of
Lorrain
had this Palace, and the Government of the
Tirol
assigned him by the Emperor, and his Lady the Queen Dowager of
Poland
lived here several Years after the Death of the Duke her Husband. There are covered Galleries that lead from the Palace to Five different Churches. I passed through a very long one which reaches to the Church of the
Capucin
Convent, where the Duke of
Lorrain
used often to assist at their Midnight Devotions. They showed us in this Convent the Apartments of
Maximilian,
who was Arch-Duke and Count of
Tirol
about Fourscore Years ago. This Prince at the same time that he kept the Government in his Hands, lived in this Convent with all the Rigor and Austerity of a
Capucin.
His Anti-Chamber and Room of Audience are little square Chambers Wainscoated. His private Lodgings are Three or Four small Rooms faced with a kind of Fret-work, that makes them look like little Hollow Caverns in a Rock. They preserve this Apartment of the Convent uninhabited, and show in it the Altar, Bed and Stove, as likewise a Picture and a Stamp of this Devout Prince. The Church of the
Franciscan
Convent is famous for the Monument of the Emperor
Maximilian
the First, which stands in the midst of it. It was erected to him by his Grand-Son
Ferdinand
the First, who probably looked upon this Emperor as the Founder of the
Austrian
Greatness. For as by his own Marriage he annexed the Low-Countries to the House of
Austria,
so by matching his Son to
Joan
of
Arragon
he settled on his Posterity the Kingdom of
Spain,
and by the Marriage of his Grand-Son
Ferdinand
got into his Family the Kingdoms of
Bohemia
and
Hungary.
This Monument is only Honorary, for the Ashes of the Emperor lye elsewhere. On the Top of it is a Brazen Figure of
Maximilian
on his Knees, and on the Sides of it a beautiful
Bas Relief
representing the Actions of this Prince. His whole History is digested into Twenty Four square Pannels of Sculpture in
Bas Relief
: The Subject of Two of them is his Confederacy with
Henry
the Eighth, and the Wars they made together upon
France.
On each Side of this Monument is a Row of very noble Brazen Statues much bigger than the Life, most of them representing such as were some way or other related to
Maximilian.
Among the rest is one that the Fathers of the Convent tell us represents King
Arthur
the old
British
King. But what Relation had that
Arthur
to
Maximilian
? I don't question therefore but it was designed for Prince
Arthur,
Elder Brother of
Henry
the Eighth, who had espoused
Catharine,
Sister of
Maximilian,
whose Divorce afterwards gave occasion to such signal Revolutions in
England.
This Church was built by
Ferdinand
the First. One sees in it a kind of Offer at Modern Architecture, but at the same time that the Architect has shown his Dislike of the
Gothick
manner, one may see very well that in that Age they were not, at least in this Country, arrived at the Knowledge of the true Way. The Portal, for Example, consists of a composite Order unknown to the Ancients; the Ornaments indeed are taken from them, but so put together that you see the Volutes of the
Ionic,
the Foliage of the
Corinthian,
and the Uovali of the
Doric
mix'd without any Regularity on the same Capital. So the Vault of the Church, tho' broad enough, is encumber'd with too many little Tricks in Sculpture. It is indeed supported with single Columns instead of those vast Clusters of little Pillars that one meets with in
Gothic
Cathedrals, but at the same time these Columns are of no regular Order, and at least Twice too long for their Diameter. There are other Churches in the Town, and Two or Three Palaces which are of a more Modern Make, and built with a good Fancy. I was shown the little
Notredame
that is handsomly design'd, and topp'd with a Cupola. It was made as an Offering of Gratitude to the Blessed Virgin, for having defended the Country of the
Tirol
against the Victorious Arms of
Gustavus Adolphus,
who could not enter this Part of the Empire after having over-run most of the rest. This Temple was therefore built by the Contributions of the whole Country. At about half a League's distance from
Inspruck
stands the Castle of
Amras,
furnish'd with a prodigious Quantity of Medals, and many other sorts of Rarities both in Nature and Art, for which I must refer the Reader to Monsieur
Patin
's Account in his Letter to the Duke of
Wirtemburg,
having my self had neither Time or Opportunity to enter into a particular Examination of them.
From
Inspruck
we came to
Hall,
that lyes at a League distance on the same River. This Place is particularly famous for its Salt-Works. There are in the Neighbourhood vast Mountains of a transparent kind of Rock not unlike Allum, extreamly solid, and as piquant to the Tongue as Salt it self. Four or Five Hundred Men are always at Work in these Mountains, where as soon as they have hewn down any Quantities of the Rock they let in their Springs and Reservoirs among their Works. The Water eats away and dissolves the Particles of Salt which are mix'd in the Stone, and is convey'd by long Troughs and Canals from the Mines to the Town of
Hall,
where 'tis received in vast Cisterns, and boil'd off from time to time.
They make after the rate of Eight Hundred Loaves a Week, each Loaf Four Hundred Pound Weight. This would raise a great Revenue to the Emperor, were there here such a Tax on Salt as there is in
France.
At present he clears but Two Hundred Thousand Crowns a Year, after having defray'd all the Charges of working it. There are in
Switzerland,
and other Parts of the
Alps,
several of these Quarries of Salt that turn to very little Account, by Reason of the great Quantities of Wood they consume.
The Salt-Works at
Hall
have a great Convenience for Fuel which swims down to them on the River
Inn.
This River, during its Course through the
Tirol,
is generally shut up between a double Range of Mountains that are most of them cover'd with Woods of Fir-Trees. Abundance of Peasants are employ'd in the hewing down of the largest of these Trees, that, after they are Bark'd and cut into Shape, are tumbled down from the Mountains into the Stream of the River, which carries them off to the Salt-Works. At
Inspruck
they take up vast Quantities for the Convents and publick Officers, who have a certain Portion of it alloted them by the Emperor: the rest of it passes on to
Hall.
There are generally several Hundred Loads afloat, for they begin to cut above Twenty Five Leagues up the River above
Hall,
and there are other Rivers that flow into the
Inn,
which bring in their Contributions. These Salt-Works, and a Mint that is establish'd at the same Place, have render'd this Town, notwithstanding the Neighbourhood of the Capital City, almost as populous as
Inspruck
it self. The Design of this Mint is to work off part of the Metals which are found in the neighbouring Mountains; where, as we were told, there are Seven Thousand Men in constant Employ. At
Hall
we took a Boat to carry us to
Vienna.
The First Night we lay at
Rottenburg,
where is a strong Castle above the Town. Count
Serini
is still close Prisoner in this Castle, who, as they told us in the Town, had lost his Senses by his long Imprisonment and Afflictions. The next Day we Din'd at
Kuff-stain,
where there is a Fortress on a high Rock above the Town almost inaccessible on all Sides: This being a Frontier Place on the Dutchy of
Bavaria,
where we enter'd after about an Hour's Rowing from
Kuff-stain.
It was the pleasantest Voyage in the World to follow the Windings of this River
Inn
through such a Variety of pleasing Scenes as the Course of it naturally led us. We had sometimes on each Side us a vast Extent of naked Rocks and Mountains, broken into a Thousand irregular Steeps and Precipices; in other Places we saw a long Forest of Fir-Trees so thick set together, that it was impossible to discover any of the Soil they grew upon, and rising up so regularly one above another, as to give us the View of a whole Wood at once. The time of the Year, that had given the Leaves of the Trees so many different Colours, compleated the Beauty of the Prospect. But as the Materials of a fine Landskip are not always the most profitable to the Owner of them, we met with but very little Corn or Pasturage for the Proportion of Earth that we pass'd through, the Lands of the
Tirol
not being able to feed the Inhabitants. This long Valley of the
Tirol
lyes enclosed on all Sides by the
Alps,
tho' its Dominions shoot out into several Branches that lye among the Breaks and Hollows of the Mountains. It is govern'd by Three Councils residing at
Inspruck,
one sits upon Life and Death, the other is for Taxes and Impositions, and a third for the common Distributions of Justice. As these Courts regulate themselves by the Orders they receive from the Imperial Court, so in many Cases there are Appeals from them to
Vienna.
The Inhabitants of the
Tirol
have many particular Privileges above those of the other Hereditary Countries of the Emperor. For as they are naturally well fortify'd among their Mountains, and at the same time border upon many different Governments, as the
Grisons,
Venetians, Swiss, Bavarians,
&c. a severe Treatment might tempt them to set up for a Republick, or at least throw themselves under the milder Government of some of their Neighbours: Besides that their Country is poor, and that the Emperor draws considerable Incomes out of its Mines of Salt and Metal. They are these Mines that fill the Country with greater Numbers of People than it would be able to bear without the Importation of Corn from Foreign Parts. The Emperor has Forts and Cittadels at the Entrance of all the Passes that lead into the
Tirol,
which are so advantagiously placed upon Rocks and Mountains, that they command all the Vallies and Avenues that lye about them. Besides, that the Country it self is cut into so many Hills and Inequalities, as would render it defensible by a very little Army against a numerous Enemy. It was therefore generally thought the Duke of
Bavaria
would not attempt the cutting off any Succours that were sent to Prince
Eugene
; or the forcing his Way through the
Tirol
into
Italy.
The River
Inn,
that had hitherto been shut up among Mountains, passes generally through a wide open Country during all its Course through
Bavaria,
which is a Voyage of Two Days, after the rate of Twenty Leagues a Day.
INDEX.
A
ADDA,
and the
Addige,
both describ'd by
Claudian, Page,
42, 43.
Albano,
for what famous, 292.
Alps
describ'd by
Silius Italicus,
344.
St.
Ambrose
his resolute Behaviour towards
Theodosius
the Great, before the Gates of the great Church at
Milan,
25.
Ambrosian
Library in
Milan
how furnish'd, 27.
Ancona
its Situation, 107, 108
St.
Anthony
of
Padua,
his magnificent Church, 47. a natural Perfume issuing from his Bones,
ibid.
a Conjecture upon it,
ibid.
his famous Sermon to an Assembly of Fish, 48. the Titles given him by a poor Peasant, 57.
Antiquaries, wherein faulty, 248.
Antiquities, Two Sets in
Rome,
231. the great Difference between 'em,
ibid.
Antium,
its extensive Ruins, 222. for what famous formerly, 223.
Anxur,
its pleasant Situation, 144. describ'd by
Martial, ibid. &c.
Appennine
Mountains describ'd by the
Latin
Poets, 329.
Ariosto,
his Monument in the
Benedictine
Church in
Ferrara,
188.
B
Baiae,
the Winter Retreat of the old
Romans,
173.
St.
Bartholomew
his famous Statue in the great Church in
Milan,
22.
Bern,
its publick Walks, 366. and Arsenal, 367.
Bolonia,
for what famous, 332. its Rarities, 333.
Brescia,
why more favour'd by the
Venetians
than any other Part of their Dominions, 40, 41. famous for its Iron-Works,
ibid.
C
Calvin,
his Advice to the
Genevois
before his Death. 387.
Caprea
describ'd, 192,
&c.
its fruitful Soil, 193. some Account of the Medals found in it, 201.
Cassis,
a
French
Port, its pleasant Neighbourhood, 1.
Cennis,
a Mountain between
Turin
and
Geneva.
342.
St.
Charles Borromeo
his subterraneous Chapel in
Milan,
22. an Account of that Saint, 23. compar'd with the ordinary Saints in the
Roman
Church,
ibid.
Cimmerians,
where placed by
Homer,
216.
Civita Vecchia,
its unwholesome Air, 307.
Clitumnus,
the Quality of its Waters, 114.
Colonna Infame,
a Pillar at
Milan,
30. the Occasion of it,
ibid.
Confessionals, Inscriptions over them, 26.
E
English
courted by the present Pope to settle at
Civita Vecchia,
306.
Escargatoire,
the use of it, 364.
F
Fano,
from whence so call'd, 107.
Felix
the Fifth, his Story, 350.
Ferrara
thinly inhabited, 87. the Town describ'd,
ibid.
Florence,
314. an Account of its publick Buildings, 315. its famous Gallery,
ibid.
and Rarities contain'd in it, 315, 316. and in some Chambers adjoining to it, 321. famous for modern Statues, 328. the great Duke's Care to prevent
Civita Vecchia
from being made a free Port, 305. incens'd against the
Lucquese,
310, 311. for what Reason,
ibid.
Fortune,
Two
Fortunes
worshipp'd by the Heathens at
Antium,
223.
Fountains in
Switzerland,
a Reason given for their Periodical Fluxes, 353.
Fribourg
describ'd, 363. with an Hermitage near it, 364.
G
St.
Gaul,
Abbot of, the Extent of his Territories, 375. manner of his Election,
ibid.
the Riches of the Inhabitants, 376. their Quarrel with the Abbot, 377. the Abby, 379. their Arms, 380.
St.
Gaul,
the great Apostle of
Germany,
some Account of him, 381.
Geneva,
its Situation, 347. under the Emperor's Displeasure, and for what Reason, 361. esteem'd the Court of the
Alps,
386.
Genoese,
their Manners describ'd, 7. their Character from the modern
Italians,
and
Latin
Poets, 7, 8. an Instance of their Indiscretion, 13. why oblig'd to be at present in the
French
Interest, 13. their Fleet, 14. and its Service,
ibid.
their Doge claims a Crown and Scepter from their Conquest of
Corsica,
14. an Advantage arising to 'em from it, and a different Maxim observed by the ancient
Romans
14, 15.
Genoa,
its Description, 9.
&c.
its Bank no Burden to the
Genoese,
12. why uncapable of being made a free Port, 307.
St.
George
his Church at
Verona,
45.
Granaries, the Administration of 'em in
Switzerland,
504.
Grotto del Cani,
some Experiments made in it, 176, 177. Reasons offer'd for the Effects of its Vapours, 177, 178.
Grotto Oscuro,
199.
Gulf of
Genoa,
its Nature, 4.
H
Hall,
its Salt Works. 405. the Method of preparing 'em,
ibid.
its Mint,
ibid.
Henry
the Eighth of
England,
his Letter to
Ann
of
Bulloyn,
281.
Hercules Monaecus,
6.
Homer
his
Apotheosis,
263.
I
Jesuits their particular Compliment to the Queen of the
Romans
in a Comedy design'd for her Entertainment, 400.
Inspruck,
its publick Buildings, 399.
Ischia,
by the Ancients call'd
Inarime,
210. some Account of it,
ibid.
Italians,
the usual Furniture of their Libraries, 27. compar'd to the
French,
34. the difference of Manners in the two Nations,
ibid.
the great Aversion to the
French
observ'd in the common People, 35, 36. some Reasons for it, 36, 37, their extravagant Tombstones, 46. the difference betwixt their Poetical and Prose Language, 75. a great help to their modern Poetry,
ibid.
their Comedies low and obscene, 76. a Reason for it, 76. the chief Parts in all their Comedies 77. a great Custom among 'em of crowning the Holy Virgin, 93, 94.
Italy
divided into many Principalities, as more natural to its Situation, 33. its present Desolation, 136. compar'd to its ancient Inhabitants,
ibid.
Juno Sispita,
or
Suspitae,
how represented, 321.
Tully
's Description of this Goddess,
ibid.
St.
Justina,
her Church one of the finest in
Italy,
58.
L
Lago di Como,
formerly
Larius,
40. describ'd by
Claudian,
43.
Lago di Garda,
or
Benaeus,
describ'd by
Virgil,
41.
Lapis Vituperii.
what, and to what use apply'd, 58.
Lausanne,
357. a peculiar Privilege belonging to one Street in this Town, 358.
Lawyers, their great Numbers, and continual Employment among the
Neapolitans,
157.
Leghorn,
302. a free Port,
ibid.
the great Resort of other Nations to it, 303. the Advantages the Great Duke receives from it, 303, 304,
&c.
Lemanus
the Lake describ'd, 348,
&c.
with the Towns upon it, 349.
Lindaw,
397.
Liris
or the
Garigliano
describ'd; 143.
Loretto
its prodigious Riches, 111. why never attack'd by the
Turks, ibid.
or the Christian Princes,
ibid,
a Description of the Holy House, 112.
Lucan
his Prophecy of the
Larian
Towns, 294.
Lucca,
the Industry of its Inhabitants, 309. under the King of
Spain
's Protection, 311. indanger of ruin, 311. the great Contempt the Inhabitants have of the
Florentines, ibid.
why never attempted as yet by the Great Duke, 312. the Form of its Government, 313.
Ludlow, Edmund,
his Epitaph, 355.
M
St.
Marino,
its Situation, 99. the Extent of its Dominions, 100. the Founder, and Original of this little Republick,
ibid.
the Antiquity of it, 101. the Form of the Government, 103,
&c.
Mary Magdalene,
the Desarts render'd famous by her Penance, 2. describ'd by
Claudian, ibid.
Maximilian
the first Founder of the
Austrian
Greatness, 400.
Meldingen,
a little Republick in
Switzerland,
472. the Model of its Government,
ibid.
and Business of the Councils of State,
ibid.
Milan,
its great Church, 21.
&c.
the Relicks and great Riches contain'd in it, 25. the Citadel, 32. the Situation of its State,
ibid.
an Affectation of the
French
Dress, and Carriage in the Court, 33.
Milan
describ'd by
Ausonius,
38.
&c.
Mincio
describ'd by
Virgil,
42. and
Claudian,
43.
Miseno,
its Cape describ'd, 208. its Set of Galleries, 209.
Modena,
the Extent of its Dominions, and Condition of the Inhabitants, 335.
Monaco,
its Harbour describ'd by
Lucan,
5. its Dominions, 6.
Monte Circeio,
why suppos'd by
Homer
to have been an Island, 218.
Aeneas
his Passage near it describ'd by
Virgil,
219.
Monte Novo,
how form'd, 179.
Morge,
its Artificial Port, 358.
Morpheus,
why represented under the Figure of a Boy, 318, 319. in what manner address'd to by
Statius,
320.
N
Naples,
148. its many Superstitions, 150. its delightful Bay, 153. describ'd by
Silius Italicus,
186. its pleasant Situation, 155. the litigious Temper of the Inhabitants, 157. different from what it was in
Statius
his Time, 158. the great Alteration of the adjacent Parts from what they were formerly, 167. the natural Curiosities about it, 175.
Narni,
why so call'd, 124.
Neapolitans
addicted to Ease and Pleasure, 160. the Reason,
ibid.
Nemi,
why so call'd, 290.
Nettuno,
for what remarkable, 222.
O
Ocriculum,
its Ruins, 124.
Ostia
describ'd by
Juvenal,
227.
P
Padua,
its University, 58. the Original of
Padua
from
Virgil,
59.
Parker,
an
English
Ecclesiastick, his Epitaph on his Tomb in
Pavia,
18.
Parma,
its famous Theatre, 334. the Extent of its Dominions, 335. and Condition of the Inhabitants,
ibid.
Pavia,
its Description, 16,
&c.
why call'd
Ticinum
by the Ancients, 19.
Pausilypo
's Grotto, 164. the beautiful Prospect of its Mount, 208.
St.
Peter
's Church at
Rome
describ'd, 132. the
of its double Dome, 133. its beautiful Architecture, 134.
Pietists, a new Sect in
Switzerland,
393.
Pisatello,
see
Rubicon.
Pisauro,
Doge of
Venice,
his
Elogium,
66, 67.
Po
describ'd by
Lucan,
83.
Scaliger
's Critick upon it, 85. describ'd by
Clandian,
338.
Pope his Territories very desolate, 137. and the Inhabitants poor, 138. Reasons for it, 139.
Puteoli,
its Remains near
Naples,
167. its Mole mistaken for
Caligula
's Bridge, 168. the Error confuted,
ibid, &c.
R
Ravenna,
its ancient Situation according to
Martial,
88. and
Silius Italicus,
89. the City and adjacent Parts describ'd,
ibid, &c.
its great Scarcity of fresh Water, 131.
St.
Remo,
a
Genoese
Town, describ'd, 4.
Rhone,
some Account of it, 360.
Rimini,
its Antiquities, 95.
Rome,
the Modern stands higher than the Ancient, 230. the Grandeur of the Common-wealth, and Magnificence of the Emperors differently consider'd, 231. its Rarities 232, 233,
&c.
and Considerations upon them,
ibid.
why more frequented by the Nobility in Summer than in Winter, 294.
Romulus
his Cottage describ'd by
Virgil,
114.
Rubicon,
call'd at present
Pisatello,
describ'd by
Lucan,
94, 95.
S
Sannazarius
his Verses upon
Venice,
81.
Sienna,
299. its Cathedral,
ibid.
Snow monopoliz'd at
Naples,
185.
Soleutre,
the Residence of the
French
Ambassadors, 481.
Soracte,
call'd by the modern
Italians
St.
Oreste,
125.
Spaniards,
their Policy observed in the
ment of
Naples,
155, 156, 159, 160.
Spoletto,
its Antiquities, 114.
Suffolk,
Duke of, bury'd in
Pavia,
17. the Inscription on his Tomb,
ibid.
his History, 18.
Switzerland,
its wonderful Tranquility, 381. the Reason for it, 382. the Thirst of its Inhabitants, 384. the Reason for it,
ibid.
their Dress; 386. their Custom in bequeathing their Estates, 389. their Notion of Witchcraft, 391.
T
Terni,
why call'd formerly
Interamna,
117.
Theatines,
their Convent in
Ravenna,
92.
Tiber,
an Account of it from
Virgil,
225. its great Riches, 259.
Ticinus,
or
Tesin
a River near
Pavia,
19. describ'd by
Silius Italicus,
19. and
Claudian,
42.
Timavus
describ'd by
Claudian,
43.
Tirol,
the particular Privileges of its Inhabitants, 409.
Turin,
a Convenience particular to it, 341. the Aversion of the common People to the
French,
ibid.
V
Velini Rosea Rura,
why call'd so by
Virgil,
119. the Cascade form'd by the Fall of that River,
ib.
Venetians,
their Thirst after too many Conquests on the
Terra Firma
prejudicial to the Common-wealth, 68. wherein,
ibid.
the Republick in a declining Condition,
ibid.
on what Terms with the Emperor, 69. the Pope and Duke of
Savoy, ibid.
their Senate the wisest Council in the World, 70. the refin'd Parts of their Wisdom,
ibid.
their great Secrecy in Matters of State, 71. an Instance of it,
ibid.
the Number of their Nobility, 72. their Opera's, 73. a Custom peculiar to the
Venetians,
79. a Show particular to them exhibited on
Holy Thursday,
80. describ'd by
Claudian, ibid.
Venice,
its advantagious Situation, 61. convenient for Commerce, 63: its Trade declining,
ibid.
the Reason of it, 63, 64. its Description, 64. remarkable for its Pictures from the best Hands, 65, 66. the Moisture of its Air, 66. its Arsenal, 67. its Carnival, 73. the Necessity and Consequences of it,
ibid.
Venus
her Chambers, 172.
Verom,
its Amphitheater, 43, 44. its Antiquities, 45.
Vesuvio
describ'd, 179,
&c.
much different from
Martial
's Account of it, 195.
Virgil
's Tomb, 164.
Ulysses
his Voyage undetermin'd by the Learned, 3.
Volturno
describ'd, 143.
Z
Zurich,
an Account of it, 373.
FINIS.