Author: Balfour, Andrew, Sir, 1630-1694. Title: Letters write [sic] to a friend by the learned and judicious Sir Andrew Balfour ... containing excellent directions and advices for travelling thro' France and Italy, with many curious and judicious remarks and observations made by himself, in his voyages thro' these countreys, published from the author's original m.s. Date: 1700 Bibliographic name / number: Wing / B552 No. of pages: [14], x, 274 p. Copy from: British Library Reel position: Wing / 1582:32 Letters write [sic] to a friend 336Kb A Text Creation Partnership digital edition TCP Phase I Added to EEBO prior to August 2010 LETTERS Write to a Friend, By the Learned and Judicious Sir Andrew Balfour, M. D CONTAINING Excellent Directions and Advices For Travelling thro' FRANCE and ITALY With many Curious and Judicious Re|marks and Observations made by Him|self, in His Voyages thro' these Coun|treys. Published from the Author's Original M. S. EDINBURGH, Printed in the Year, M.DCC. To the Most Illustrious, Most Potent, and Noble EARLE, ALEXANDER Earle of Murray, Lord Doun and Abernethy, &c. Sometime Lord High COMMISSIONER, And Principal SECRETARY of State For the Kingdom of Scotland. My Noble Lord! IN all Ages, discerning and serious Men, who knew best to allow and distinguish things and Persons, have made it their great Complaint, That the pre|sent Generation did degenerat from the former; And that the Generality of Men were too apt and ready to pursue bad Courses: And some think|ing Persons now, are easily in|duced to believe, that, the Days we live in, the World is not much mended. This notwith|standing, no Time hath been known (how dissolut soever) wherein some worthy & ver|tuous Men have not appear|ed, who have studied to im|prove Natural and Moral En|duements, and to pursue Ver|tue, preferring that way to base Interest, and selfish Ends. And it is well known, that even at this Time, when many & great Duties are easily superceded, there are here and there some Persons who worthily act up|on the Principles of Honour, Conscience, and Vertue, mau|gre all Discouragements. A|mong whom Your Lordship (even in your Solitude) moves and acts in a very high and conspicuous Sphere, to that Measure of lovely Vertue and Splendor, that Your Friends and Wellwishers admire, and your Enemies (if You have any) can find no matter of Censure. If there were many such in the Nation, it would be no hard mater to retrieve & bring in Vogue again, these ad|equat Qualities and Vertues, which often have rendered ma|ny of our Countrymen (en|dued therewith) famous and illustrious both at Home and Abroad. In the mean Time it is to be wish'd that each man would labour to reform Himself and his own Ways, conforming them to these ex|cellent Rules. And that cer|tainly at length would make and advance a laudable Re|formation indeed. But it is to be feared, that this would rather prove an abortive Wish, than that it shall have its wisht for Effect: albeit (to have it so with the World) it should be a part of our dayly Prayers, and come in continually to Our Letany. My Lord! Whilst You are Enjoying Your self, and are solaced with the Comfort of a good Conscience, in Your Retire|ment, making your self an Ex|ample of Vertue, and a Pat|ern of Honour and Goodness to those who observe you and your Actions. I humbly ad|dress Your Lordship, not de|siring to interrupt Your Re|pose, but to afford You a litle divertisement for some of your vacant and Recreating Minuts: By Offering to Your Lordships Perusal these following Sheets, and Begging Your Patronage thereto: And I judge I have little Reason to despair of your Favour and Acceptance, since Your Lordship was Pleased to shew a more than Ordinary Affection and Kindness to the Author my Father. And there|fore I hope this little Tract wil give Your Lordship some Con|tent; and for others I am bold to say, I hope well: for many Persons of great Honour and Judgement, have (since my Father the Authour's Death) been sollicitous to get written Copies from the Original, which was indeed perfected by My Father in his Own Time, without any Design to make it publick. But my Father's M. S. with all his Books be|ing committed to a certain Person he, without my Privity, gave out Copies to Knowing & Inquisitive Persons, as of late I came to understand, and now these Copies abounding abroad, and most (if not all) being defective or incorrect, (to Prevent my Father's being abused) I now send a True Copy abroad unto the World, and let it See the Light: And go it must under your Lord|ships Patronage, for I am con|fident the Design will succeed the better, and the Book will be the more acceptable to these who Love and Desire the Knowledge of such curious Maters: Nor shal I diffide its Fate, being first wellcome to Your Lordship, to whom I hereby address the same, most humbly and heartily, and not in course, ingyring upon a Patron, as the custom some|times is. Thus, begging Your Lord|ships Pardon for my Presump|tion, I do intreat from your Lordship the Honour to be ac|counted, My Noble LORD, Your Lordships most humble, Most Faithfull, most Devoted, And Obedient Servant, M. BALFOVRE. i TO THE READER IT is needless to show the many advan|tages may be had from Travelling, since all are convinced of it; and the VVisest of Men in all Ages have thought this the best way to improve themselves: thus, as Homer, the Greek Master, showes us, Vlysses followed this Method. Qui Domitor Trojae multorum providus Vrbes, Et Mores hominum inspexit; latumque per aeqour Dum sibi dumsocijs reditum parat, aspera multa Pertulit. And such a one Homer drew his Son Telemachus, whose adventures have of late been Painted by an excellent Pen, with all the advantages, requisit for the educa|tion of a good Man and Excellent Prince. ii Indeed, the World is a Theater, in which we may see not only the different productions of Nature, but also all the Arts & Mysteries of Government; and all the wayes of impro|ving Nature by Art; and every Climate affords new Scenes for improving Geogra|phy, Natural and Civil Historie, Medicine, Commerce, and all the Mechanick Arts. Medicine certainly is much improved this way, for thus Galen writes, he sailed to Lemnos, Cyprus and Palestina of Syria, on purpose to see foreign Plants, and rare Ores and Mineralls. The following Letters give you some ac|count, to this purpose, of these Countries in Europe viz. England, France and Italy, which for, Politeness & Civility, for Gran|deur and Magnificence, & for Arts and In|ventions, and the Publick incouragements of them, farr excelleth all the rest. The Author of them, Sir Andrew Balfour, Do|ctor of Medicine, spent some fifteen Years in his Travels, & Residence in these Coun|tries; He was a Man of an Excellent VVit, and of a Ripe Judgement, and of a most taking behaviour; He had improven him|self iii to the best advantage, with all the learn|ing taught in the most famous Vniversi|ties of these Countries, had acquired their Languages, and Conversed with the most famous Man then alive. The par|ticular Curiosity He had to learn every thing that might enrich his mind with knowledge, was in his youngest Years fa|voured with the Example and Instruction of his eldest Brother, 30 Years elder than himself, the Famous Sir James Balfour, Lyon King at Arms, who had a Curious Bibli|otheck, had Collected in his Cabinet ma|ny Curious Products of Nature and pieces of Art, and took delight to cherish this ear|ly Curiositie of his youngest Brother: With this Disposition & proficiencie in the Lear|ning then taught in his Native Country, He begun his Travels, which, in so long a Tract of time he employed that way, came to Qualify him exceedingly for perform|ing all that is recorded of him. [Note: In the Memoria BALFOU+R[...]A[...]A. ] When He wrot these Letters He had setled his abode at E|dinburgh, where He Practised Physick with great Success, & iv deservedly gained the Reputation of the best Qualified Physitian in the place, and ac|cordingly was employed by these of the best Rank. About a Year or two after his settlement here He took the Resolution of erecting a publick Garden for Plants, and a Cabinet of Curiosities: He had begun the last in his own Lodging· and was pro|jecting how He might establish the other, when He became acquainted with that wor|thie Gentleman Patrick Murray, Baron of Livingstone, to whom these Letters (now publish'd) were addressed. This Gentleman designed so much for the good & Honour of his Country, that I cannot but in this place do that Justice to his Memorie to give the World some Character of him, having been well acquainted with him, & having had the happiness to make the Acquaintance, & beginn the Friendship contracted betwixt him, and Sir Andrew Balfour, which pro|duced these Letters. This Gentleman had a particular Genie in|clining him to studie Natural History, and all the wayes and means, how to improve the Arts, most usefull to his Countrie; He v had studied the Mathemathicks, & delighted much in the practical part of them, & em|ployed much of the Revenue of that plen|tifull Estate He had from his Ancestors, in purchasing Instruments, & Curious Books, which treated on these Subjects, He having Travelled over a great part of this Coun|try, in searching after the Plants that grew wild up and down in it, & withall having read severall writers on the Plants, he every Year sent for new Seeds of foreign Plants: He inclosed a considerable Parcel of Ground, in which He trained them up with great Skill; and before He [...] to his Travells, He had of domestick and fo|reign Plants, growing in his Garden at Livingstone, above a Thousand: He was a|bove thirty six Years of Age before He began his Travells, and had fitted him|self by reading of Voyages, and such Books as might best inform him of what He was to inquire for, in foreign Countries, ye[...] He was so sensible of the great Advanta[...] [...] that Learning Sir Andrew Balfour [...] [...]ster of, that He not only inform[...]d [...] him of the best Books, fitted [...] vi and the designe He had to Learne all that might be for the improving of know|ledge, & of the Arts usefull to this Coun|try, but likewise He obtained his promise to intertain a Correspondence with him whilst He was in foreign Countries, by Let|ters, upon all Occasions. These three make a Part of what Sir Andrew wrote. He had whilst He was abroad, bought up most of the writers extant upon Plants and other parts of naturall History, and many relating to the culture of Plants; He had [...]exactly learned all the Plants then keept in the Kings Garden at Paris (the most compleat that is in the World, ei|ther for the number or the Quality of the Plants) or in privat Gardens there; and had travelled thorough a great part of France, when He was surprized with a Feaver, that he contracted at Avignion, of which he dyed. He begun his Voyage the 2d. of Septem|ber 1668, and dyed in August or September 1671. In these places of England and France He Travelled thorough, He gives a very particular Account, even of the Di|mension vii of the Publick Buildings, the Re|marks, the distances of the places; He gives an Account of the Government of France, of the Peers there, & the Orders of Knight|hood; He gives an account of the Remarkable Manufactories in France, & particularizes some of the Mines and Quarries of Marble, and has an Account of the Canale for the Communication betwixt the Mediterrane|an and the Ocean; He shows the Quali|ty of the Weather, the Habits of the Peo|ple in the Souths parts of France; He de|s[...]ibes the Monuments of Eminent Men, & [...] some of their Sepulchral inscriptions, and takes notice of the best Gardens and of the C[...]iners of the Curious where He Tra|velled· describing many particulars not to be [...]et [...]ith in the printed Voya|ges, and upon this Account his Voyage deserves very well to be made Publick. As to these Letters of Sir Andrew Balfour now published, I shall leave the Judge|ment of them to the Learned, who may peruse them; yet this I must say, There are many particularities in them relating to Na|tural History, and the way of Safe and con|nient viii Travelling, not to be met with in the prin|ted Accounts of these Countries, and I am per|swaded they are of Excelleut use for these who study Natural History, and Physick, where they may be informed where Plants, & other Subjects of them, are to be found in their Native Places, and where they may see the Cabinets of the Curious. Others will be hereby instructed in the Manners, Orders, and Customes, of these People; They will find likeways many Cu|rious Reflections, which are Pleasant to read, and may give rise to higher Conside|rations. They will see what Varieties fo|reign Countries of a different Soil & Tem|perature of Air, do afford; severall of which may be brought here, and may be made usefull to this Country. What Sir Andrew delivereth here, is what he observed, experienced, and hand|led himself, and none need question the Re|lations in any Circumstance; He was known to be a most candid and Ingenious Gentleman, He gives his apprehension and Judgment of the Reasons & causes: which was allways much valued by all which ix kneDw him; being a Gentleman of Excel|lent VVit, and Judgment: He did not ex|pect that they should be printed, and in his lifetime he would never hear of it; and such was his Modesty, he never shewed them to any but his most intimate Friends, and could not be perswaded to give a Copie of them, but since his Death copies of them have past from hand to hand, and all who have seen them are very well pleased; where|upon at the earnest intreaty of his Friends, his Son hath published them in the Stile he found them writen; his design was to render all easie & intelligible to his Friend he wrote them to; if the Phrase & Lan|guage seem in some places less ornate, & not so congruous as may be expected now, it is to be remembred, they were writen thirty Years ago, when he had been Fifteen Years absent from his own Country, & had accustomed himself to speak foreign more Language, than to Studie the Elegancie of his own Native Tongue; & this I think should excuse him at the hands of the Cri|ticks, He Studied more things than words, x & yet, as all know, He expressed himself most handsomely upon all Occasions. It was fitt this should be Represented: The rest is left to the impartiall Reader, who will meet with so many Remarkable & use|full things in the Letters, that there is no doubt of his kind Acceptance of them. If these meet with the encouragement hoped for, 'tis like, the Baron of Lovingstone his observations in his Travels, in our Lan|guage too, and a Voyage of another Coun|tryman of ours, through France and Italy, writen in a pure Stile of Latine, may be pu|blished for the satisfaction of such as are Curious of Travells, Farewell. 1 LETTER I. CONTAINING An Account of what is remarkable in and about London, &c. And in and about Paris, &c. Sir, I Cannot inform You of any thing considerable on this side London, except it please you, when you are got the le[...]gth of Huntington, to turn six or seven miles out of the road to see Cam|bridge; which I doe truly think worth the while, in regard it is one of the two famous Universities of England, where if it please you, You may take Notice of the number, structure, and order of the Colledges, &c. but particularly of the Libraries and Gardens; as also of the Book-sellers Shops in the town-where possibly you may meet with something 2 that you shal not meet with any where els in order to this it would be convenient to have some letter of recomendation or adress to some member of the University whom you might be sure (upon this account) to find very ready to serve you; I am sorry that I cannot help you in this particular, having never been in this place my self; But I think if you address your self to Mr. Ray (who wrote and published the Catalogue of plants grow|ing about Cambridge) upon the score of seeing that place, and himself as a Person so deserving especially in the knowledge of plants, of which you are also a verie great lover; I make no doubt you shall find him as ready to oblidge you there, as you use to be to any Vir|tuoso here. At London I shall advise you to lodg in or about Convent-garden, as a place most commodious for your business. I thought it necessar to accompany you only with two leters of recommendation, the one to Dr. Morisone, whom I think the best Botanist in the world, and a most ho|nest 3 and obliging friend; By his means you will easily see all that is considerable of Plants about London, and purchase what seeds that place affoords. The other is to Mr. Scott a Book-seller, dwelling in Little-Britain by whose means you may be furnished with any Book that may be be had in London; and I think as reason|ably as else-where: notwithstanding you will 'doe well to see other shops, as par|ticularly Mr. Bees and Mr. Pulleyns, both of them in Little-Britain. As for the other beauties of the Court and City I need not say much, being you will easily be informed of them up|on the place: I shall only hint at some of the most considerable, And first, at Whythall be pleased to take Notice of the [...]anquetting-house; you will find it of a stately fabrick, such as the late King designed to have all the Palace of; it was built by King James, the historie of whose diefication you wil find Painted on the roofe within, by the noble artist Rubens, only you will find the Figures too big, occasioned by the 4 Painters misinformation concerning the Hight of the Room, which he was made beleeve to be greater. The King's privy Rooms are worth the seeing, because of their excellent Ornaments of Hangings and Pictures. 2 The Palace of Westminster, in which I find the great Hall only considerable for its great breadth and artificiall roof. 3. Henry VII. Chappel and the tombs in and near it. 4. You will do well upon some Holy|day (if any happen during your abode there) to see the King at Divine service, in regard of the extraordinary state used on such dayes, as also of the excellent Musick; I would advise you likwise to see the King dine on some such day. 5. The Tower, in which be curious to see the Mint Crown, Scepter, & Treasury, the Magazine of ancient arms &c. and the new Arsenall built and furnished by the present King, The wild Beasts. 6. Gresham-Colledge, where the Ex|change is now kept; inquire there for Dr. Pope that by his means you may see 5 a verie fine collection of naturall rarities kept in that Colledge. He will likewise carry you to see the Royall society, if you so desire. 7. The King and Dukes play-houses. 8. The Innes of Court, especially the Temple, Lincolns Inn, and Gray's Inn. 9. The New Exchange, and not farr from it, Sommerset-House. 10. St. James's-House and Park. 11. If yow please to take a pair of Oares the length of Greenwich, you will see the Kings new House that is a building there, and if you please to walk up to the Hill above it, You will have a prospect up and down the river, which the multi|tude of goodly ships, the pleasantness of of the Countrey about, and our Coun|treyman John Barcly's curious Descripti|on and Commendation of it, render most famous. 12. For the rest, I shall only put you in mind, that about London there are such places, as Wimbletone belonging now to the Earle of Bri[...]o[...], but lately to the Queen-Mother and in the time of the 6 Rebellion possest by Lambert; who im|bellished the Garden thereof with great variety of plants. Hampton-Court and Park belonging to the Kings Majesty. I shall likewise put You in mind that Oxfoord is but fifty miles from London, and that it is one of the most famous Universities in the world, both for the number and structure of the Colledges and Halls, and for the multitude of [...]u|dents, and competency of their provisi|on. The chief Colledges are Christs Church, Magdalens, All-Souls, St. John's, &c. Baliol Colledg was founded by a Scots King's fa|ther of that name, The Schools is a stately Fabrick where there is kept a most mag|nificent Librarie for Number of Books beyond any that ever I saw: there is besides near Magdalen-Colledge a Physicall Gar|den; when You resolve to goe thither Dr. Moreson wil recommend You to such per|sons as will be carefull to shew you every thing. From London to Paris the best way is to goe by Dover and Calais, that you may returne by Die[...] and Rye, except 7 you make account to returne by Flanders in which case I advise you rather to goe by Rye and Deip, because Rouen (which otherwise will not fall to be in your way) is a more considerable place and better worth the seeing, than any thing upon the way of Calais. For your accommodation from London to Rye, you may either take post, or en|quire for the Rye Carrier at the Kings Head in Southwark, he will furnish You sadle Horses for 12. sh. a man, and if You have anie baggage he will carrie it at an easie rate; by this way You will arrive at Rye in two dayes, where You may lodge at the Marmaid untill You find an Oportunitie of passage, for which if there be Passingers enough You must pay 10. sh. but if there be few passingers You will be obliged to pay more. At Deip be pleased to lodge A la Ba|stile, the master of the House hath a Son that speaks English, and they are all verie civil people. You may see in the shops verie manie curiosities in that place, and particularlie, Au Roy de la Chine; The 8 Town is famous for working in Ivory, Horn, and Tortois-shell, for Combs, Boxes, Dialls, and a Thousand other conceats. From thence you must Hire Horse to Rouen, the ordinarie price is a Crown, if you have no companie you will do well to take a guide by the Land-Lords Di|rection; you dine at a place called Tostes, the first House of the village which you come at is the best. At Rouen lodge Au Bon Pasteur, the master is a Protestant, and speaks English· be pleased to take Notice in the Town, of 1. The Bridge on the River, which is of wood, supported by boats, and rises and falls with the Tide. 2. The great Church; if you will be at the pains to go to the Top of the Steeple you may [...]ave a verie good prospect of the Town and Avenues, you may also see the biggest bell in the World called the St. George of Amboise. 3. The Palace, where the Parliament Sits; the great Hall is commended for its breadth, being it is without pillars, but 9 in my opinion it comes far short of West|minster-Hall at London. There is a litle Village about half a League from the Town called Santeville, famous for Cream, if you please your land|lord will find you a guid to conduct you thither. You may Herbarize by the way. You may take the messenger to Paris, as being the easiest way, you pay 13. or 14. Franks a man, for which You are to be furnished with horse, lodging and diet to Paris, as al[...]o to have Six pound weight of baggage allow'd you, But if You have any more, You must pay for it beside; The last Meal which you make by the way is at Po[...]to[...], where it is usuall after Dinner for every Gentlman in the company to give to the conductor a peice of 13. Solds. At Paris I shall advise you to lodge at Mr. Haes, They are very honest people, at least you may stay there untill you find the way of accommodating your self better; he lodges A. Fauxbourg St. Germain rue de la bouchery; There are so many wor|thie things to be seen in this place that 10 I shall only name some of them, for fear of troubling you too much, and leave the rest to your own observation. 1. See Luxemburgh palace & gardens; Monsieur Marchant will be a fit Person, because of his aquaintance there, to wait upon you. 2. The Kings garden, where be sure to make a strong friendship with the Gard|ner; and You may command what You will of Plants or Seeds. 3. The Kings Library, and especialy there, the Books of Minature done by Monsieur Robert, which I look upon as the best curiosity of that kind in the World. 4. The Garden of Tuilliaries. 5. Monsieur Marchant's own Garden; He dwells, Rue du Roy de Sicile devant la nostre Dame d' Argent, deriere le petit St. Antoin; his Gard[...]n is hard by his house, and there You may see some curious Plants, not to be found elsewhere in France. 6. The Jesuites College, where en|quire for some Scots Father, and desire 11 him to procure you a sight of the Bibli|otheck, and Mathematical House; there you will see the 3. Systems of the World, according to the severall Hypotheses of Copernicus, Tycho Brache, and Ptolomeus, represented in Motion. If You be desirous to learn Chymie, You may cause Monsieur Marchant ad|dress You to Monsieur Barlet; He lives au College de Cambray, and uses to teach Courses; It will cost you ten Crowns for the Course, and two Crownes for his Book; He demonstrates from two a clock in the Afternoon till five, and fi|nisheth his course in three weeks. I think it might be worth your while, in regard you will hardly find the like Occasion a|ny other where. I need not say any thing of the Book|sellers, being they are obvious A la Rue St. Jaques; for new Books at the Palace; for French Books, as Romances, &c. A la Place de Sorbone; as also at the End of the new bridge about nostre Dame church, also at the postern Gate of the Palace and upon the Mont St. Hiller, for old Books of all Sorts. 12 Remember to cause Monsr. Marchant show You a maker of Mathematical In|struments that lives dans l'Isle du Palais au Key qui est vis a vis la valle des Mi|seres, and enquire for the designing In|strument; about the same place also you may be provided of Microscops of al sorts; If You desire to have your own, or any other Picture done: enquire for Monsr. Ferdinand, Paintre sur la Fosse an Faux|bourgs St. Germaine proche l' Academy de Monsr. du Plessis, but make your bargain before Hand. It will be worth your while to see some places about Paris, as particularlie, 1 Maisone, a very delicat House, be|longing to the President of Maisone, & standing upon the River of Saine, some 4. Leagues from Paris; From hence you must go two Leagues up the River, to 2 St. Germaine, A House belonging to the King; from thence four Leagues further a little off the River, to 3 Versaile, A House begun by the late King, but finished by the present; It is a most delicate fine place, but (as I think) 13 there will be a Necessity of procureing an Order from the Superintendent of the House (who ordinarly resides at court) to the Cons[...]erge of the House to show the same to you; From thence to 4 Rue[...]e, You have about two leagues: it is a prettie little House built by Cardi|nal Richlieu; The G[...]rdens are exceed|ingly prettie, and the Water-Works the best in France; From thence You may come to 5 St. Clou, A House belonging to the present Duke of Orleans; From thence on your way to Paris (which is not a|bove 3 Leagues) You pass thro' a wood called Bois de Bologne; in which there stands a House called Madrid, built by Francis I. after His Return from Spain where He had been Prisoner, to save his promise of going back to Spain once a year. In my time there was a Manufactorie for weaving of Silk Stockings kept there. Having performed this Journey in one or at the most two days, you may with your conveniencie visit 6 St. Denys, in the Abbey whereof there 14 is a famous Treasurie kept. Remember to take Nottice of Charles the Great's Crown, in which there is a Rubie of the Bigness of a Pidgeons Egg; A large Cup of oriental Aggat, which they count much of; One of the Nails that fixed our Saviour's Bodie to the Cross, sent to Charles the Great by Constantine V. Emperour of Con|stantinople; One of the Potts, wherein our Saviour changed the water into wine at the Marriage of Cana in Galilee; The Pucel of Orleans Sword, wherewith she overcame the English; The Lantern that was carried before Judas, when He be|trayed our Saviour; and a thousand o|ther things of great Value. See the Tombs likewise: You will do well to go earlie in the Morning that you may have time to speak to the Religious Men, and take their Hour of conveniencie for seing of the Treasure; which being done, you will have time enough to return to Paris. 7 I know nothing better worth your seing about Paris, than the Aqueduct at Arcqueul about 2 leagues from the town, it was built by Mary of Medices in the 15 time of her Regencie, for bringing the the water to her palace of Luxemborg. Besides the Aqueduct, you will also see there a verie fine Grotto with fine walks and manie prettie Jetts of water; one after|noon suffice for this Journey. 8. Fountainbleau, in which there are so manie things considerable: not only in the House, furniture, and painting; but also in the Gardens, Walks, Fish-ponds, and water-works, that it will be less trouble for you to observe them by seing, than by a long narration; I shall only tell you for the better improvement of your Journey thither that you will doe well first to go to 9. Esson a House seven leagues from Paris belonging to a private Gentleman, where you will see very fine water works and many other prettie conceats; from thence you have 3 leagues 10. To Durance, a privat House like|wise, but to which there belongs very noble gardens and walkes, with delicat Ponds and Jetts of water. It will not be a miss to stay here all the night, being 16 You will have 4 Leagues to Fontainbleau, a great part of which is through the Forrest, and therefore better to be gone in the morning, when the day is before Your hand, than in the evening when night may surprize You. 11. You may arrive so early in the morning at Fountainbleau that You may have time to see all before dinner, and thereafter returne to Veau, a most stately house and gardens correspondent to it, built by Monsr. Fougues[...], but since his disgrace it's fallen to the King: From hence you may returne a short League off your way to lodge at Melun; The next morning You will have an easie Journey to Paris, and time enough if you please to see Vinceu, within two short Leagues of Paris. It is a House belonging to the King in the middle of a verie plea|sant Park: after you have seen the House emember to see the Wild Beasts that are kept not far from it. If You resolve upon making any greater toure into the coun|rey, I shall advise You to provide a Book called le voyage de France, of the latest 17 edition, which will give you a hint of the most considerable things that are to be seen in those Places you go to. I shall deferr any thing I would say further, un|till I be happie to hear of Your safe arivall at Paris, and then I would be content to trouble you with an other sheet: in the mean time I pray for Your happie jour|ney and safe returne. [Postscript starts here] Sir, I intreat You to signifie to Mr. Hannay as also to Mr. Cranston that if they have any thing to send to me, You will be pleased to take charge of it; I shall beseech You likewise to do the same by Monsr. Marchant at Paris. 19 LETTER II. Containing Advice for makeing the grand Toure of France, with an Account of what is most observable relateing especi|ally to the Natural History and Anti|quities of that Kingdom. Sir, IT seems You are not yet resolved whi|ther to spend the Winter in Paris or in the Country, my opinion is that out of Paris, there is litle thing either to be seen or learned in all France; But in re|gard it is pertinent for a Traveler to see some thing of the countrie as well as the chief Town: I shall therefore advise you to see those Places chieflie that I judge most suitable to your inclinations, and particularie in order to Botany, that is Languedock and Provence, for altho' there be manie other places of France verie worthie the [...]eing, as particularlie the Ri|ver 20 Loyre from Orleance downward to Nantes, which for the fertilitie aud beau|tie of the countrey, the frequencie of good Towns and gentle disposition and Cour|tesie of the inhabitants, is called the Gar|den of France: yet you will find that Cli|mate produces but a few things different from Normandy or the Isle of France: But if you should incline to see it, my ad|vice is that you should not spend much time in doing of it, and therefore if you think fit you may make use of the follow|ing Advice at your Discretion. I suppose You leave Paris about the beginning of June (for I would not have you loose the Month of May in the Kings Garden, in regard most things will be then, or a little before, in their Prime, which now that the Garden of Blois is no more in Condition, is undoubtedly the best you are like to meet with) and therefore, 1. you may go to Orleans by the Messenger: it is but two Days Jour|nie; Lodge Chez Monsr. Ogilbie, sur l'[...]stape au Roy de la Grand Bretaigne; A Day or two will serve you to see all 21 that is considerable in the place; It will be worth your while to see a place some two Leagues from the City, called the Source, where in the midst of a fair green Mea|dow you will see a Spring of Water so plentifull, that it is navigable from its Head, and powrs out a River called Loi|rette. 2ly. From Orleans to Blois, they count 15. Leagues, yet it is but a short Days Journie: besides if you please, you have the Commoditie of the River to go by Boat; Be pleased to take Notice of a place by the Way, some 4. Leagues from Blois, called St. Die, where the best Cla|ret in that Countrie grows, and is ordi|narly to be found. Blois of itself is no very considerable Town, yet it is famous for makeing of Watches, for the Civilitie of the People, for the Sweetness of the Air, and Puritie of the French Language. You must stay there some Days till you have seen the following Particulars; viz. in one day you may get to Chambort, a house belonging to the King, some three leagues off, on the south side of the River, and South-East from the Town; It is said to 22 have been built by King Francis I. and is a very statelie House, though of a far different Order of Architecture than what is now used. From thence you may go to Herbeau, 3. Leagues to the southward of that, a privat house be|longing to a Gentleman that beares the title thereof. It is a very pleasant seat hav|ing very fine Gardens with an Orangery, Fish-Ponds, Woods, Maille and Mea|dowes belonging to it; from thence you may go to Bean-Regard another privat house, where amongst other prettie things you will see a fine Gallerie well orna|mented with the pictures of such persons as have been illustrious for some age; from thence you returne to Blois at night, & as you go and come you will have oc|casion to see that part of the forrest of Blois that lyes to the South of the River and town; as also a litle village called St. Gervais, famous over all that countrey for excellent Cream; being returned to Blois, you may take notice of the Castle, as also of the Garden which is now Seges ubi Troja; the keeper of it is Dr. Brumer 23 my very good acquantance, and some|times one of the Herbarists to the late Duke of Orleans, as were also Monsr. Morison and Monsr. Marchand; upon any of whose accounts or yet upon mine, I am confident You will be very welcom to him; I believe You may as yet see some Plants in the Garden, from thence walk towards the Capucins or the mount, and you will have a delicat prospect both up & down the ri|ver; from thence walk towards the Alleys which you will possibly find to be the finest in length and breadth, and being well planted on either side, that you have hitherto seen; You may chuse whither You will see Vendosme or not, it being a place not verie considerable except for the Holy Tea[...]e, which is preserved in the Cathedrall Church with much ve|neration, and which people go to see out of devotion; the toun is famous for make|ing of Gloves which are accounted the best of that countrey; upon the returne from that place You may see the Foun|tain of Orchaise, of old Horrcum Caesa|ris (for some where not far from thence 24 the Roman legion was said to be quar|tered) I take the fountain to be nothing else but a rivulet or litle burn falling over the Top of a soft Rock into which by pro|cess of time it hath cut in a considerable way thro' the whole deepth of it, and being grown together upon the Top, it seems now to spring out of the Rock; over against that, cross a meadow, you must take notice of a Cave or Hole digged in the side of a litle hill in which there is an Aromatick kind of Earth, not much in|feriour as is believed to the Terra Sigillatae of Lemnos; the common people call the place La cave de la terre Sigille. And here I must put you in mind that in this same meadow I have very often seen very large green Lizards, which because it is a beautifull creature and not found with us, I must intreat you where ever you find of them to cause preserve 1 or 2, to add to my Tradescants. I know not which will be the best way of pre|serving them, whither by skinning them, or drying the flesh, but I suppose the best way will be (especially if the skin be any 25 thing strong) to cause skin them, pre|serving the head feet and taile, and then stop the Skin with Flax. There are like|wise severall other Birds in France which are not common with us, which I must earnestly intreat you to do the same by, as for example the Pie verte or Green Pyet, &c. 3ly. from Blois you go to Amboise in half a day by water; the boat will give you libertie to see the Castle; in the Chapell whereof will be shown You hanging a pair of Hornes, they say, of a Hart, the largest and biggest (if they be true) that ever was seen In the court of the Castle there is likewise to be seen a Rib, and one of the Back-Bones of the same Animal, You are brought out of the Castle by a Toure whose descent is so large and so easie, being without Steps, that a Coach may drive from the Bottome to the Top thereof. From thence You go Tours all Night, where 4ly. In my time the best Lodging was A la St. Marthe; the place is commended for the Sweetness of it's Situation, the 26 delicacie of it's Fields and Gardens, and many other Particulars. It will be worth Your while to see the Manufactories of Silk, especially the way of working Tisse|nes, and Brocarts, which You will see of diverse Colours and some of Gold and Silver. The invention and way of making Tabbies, which I forbear to descrive, be|cause You will abundantly discover it by sight. You must be at the pains to fetch a walk out of town a litle way to see the Maille, which in any time was the longest and in the best order of any in France; and at the same time, you may go the length of the Minims Convent because the first in|stituter of their Order St. Francois de paul, lyes Buried in the Church in a marble Coffine, as will be shown You, which People visit with great Veneration: if you will be at the pains to pass the River there is an ascent to the Capucins whence you may discover the whole City, and a great part of the Countrey about, which for it's Beauty and Fertility is called the Gardin of France. and certainly deserves that Name better than any Place upon 27 the whole River of Loir. There is like|wayes not far from Tours, a Place which they call la cave Gutiere, From the Top of which there drops a Liquor which Congeals into a substance almost as hard as a stone not much unlike that you sent me from Hamiltoun. 5ly. You may go from Tours to Sau|mure a town famous for it's Protestant University, of which we have two very honest countrey-men that are members, Monsr. Doule and Monsr. Gray. You may take the pains to see Nostre damo d' Ardeliers a Place of great devotion; if you please you may see the Treasurie which is Rich, and as you go and come, you may observe the great Trade of that Suburbs, to be making of Beads or Chap|lets; I beseech you forget not to bring us some that are made of young Oranges: If you please you may see the Castle. At Saumure you must hire Horses to make a litle tour of three days, and first you must go to Doue, where there is to be seen an ancient Amphitheatre cut out 28 of a Rock, as it is said, by the Romans. There are likewise verie many great quar|ries of free stone and the Workmen often find in cleaving of the stones, some litle peices of a finer and harder substance by farr than the rest, which from the shape they have, They comonly call Langues de Serpents. The little Boys for a small matter will sell you abundance of them which I pray forget not to buy, If not for your own, at least for your friends curiositie. From thence you must go to Thouars, a most delicate House belonging to the Duke of Tremoville, it is situat upon a Rock, and the greatest part of the office houses cut out of the Solid Rock. The next Morning you go to Waren, a verie prettie House but not much worth the pains of seeing were it not in Your way to Richlieu, where you are to spend the rest of that day, That you may have the more time to view the Toun and House, which I think so well worthie your seeing, That for it's sake a Journey from Paris that length were not ill bestowed. I shall say no more of 29 of it, that I may not deprive you of the Gusto of being surprized with the Beau|tie of it. Amongst other things be pleased to take notice of two Marble sta|tues that stand over the Gate, at the up|per end of the inner Court, as also of a peece of painting in the Chapell, that was left by way of Legacie to the Car|dinall by Monsieur de Mont Morency, when he was Beheaded at Thoulouse. There are two Books the one in 40. the other in 80. containing the Figure of the House, and parts thereof; they are sold, as I take it, by the Porter, of whom I intreat you to buy them for me. The third day you may Dine at Lou|dun where in my time there was a Re|ligious Woman, that had been formerly Possessed. At the time of her cure which they say was Miraculous there was found Written on her hand JESVS MARIA JOSEPH, which still remained inde|lible. If she be yet alive you May see it. From thence you returne by Shinon, where they say the famous Francis Rablais had his first breeding in an old convent, 30 From thence you pass throw Most deli|cate Meadows called the Valey of Shinon, and in your way to Saumure some three Leagues from the Town you may see a Monasterie of Religious Women where|of the Lady Abbas in my time was the Queen-Mothers Sister of Great Brittain. 6ly. You may hire horses to La Fleche, where the only thing considerable is the Jesuits Colledge. It is a most noble Structure, and by far the best they have in France. Take Particular notice of their Church where the heart of Henry the 4th who gave them that House is kept: The Bibliotheck: The Theatre-hall: their Office houses, particularly the Kitchen; the Bake-house, where one Man and a Dog makes bread for all the Col|ledge every day: the Myln where the Water that moves the Wheele doeth likewise move a Pump that furnisheth water to the whole Colledge. The best lodging was Au quatre Vents. From hence you must again take horse to Angiers. 7ly It is a Town famous for the Pro|fession of Laws, and hath likewise a 31 Faculty of Physick: See the great Church called St. Maurice, and therein one of those pots in which our Saviour convert|ed the water into Wine at the Marriage of Cana in Galile. See the Maill, and at the end of it next the town the Mi|nims Convent. You will find in their Garden severall Kinds of Ilex; You will likewise find in severall places of the Countrey not far from the Town severall sorts of Pinastres, as also a kind of Fruit tree called Cormes, not mnch unlike our Raun-tree, the Fruit whereof hangs in Clusters like our Roddens: but of an other colour, and bigness every one be|ing as big as a Plumb. A League or two from the town towards the East, are the Pierries or quarries, of blew Skleat called Ardoise which serve the greatest part of France: See the Castle, and in it that famous crib where Rene King of Sicilie and Duke of Anjou imprisoned his Queen out of Jealousie all the days of her life. About half a League distant from the town, doun the River stands a Convent called Bamet, worthie of see|ing; 32 there is likewise on the other side of the River an old Abbacie called Les Bons Hommes, near to which there is a litle lake, which I suppose to have been the place where the blew Sklate was dug of old; you will find about the sides of it, aboundance of Tribulus aquaticus, the Fruit thereof is ripe in the Moneth of August; they use to Boyll them and Sell them as they do Chasnuts, from which they differ not much in Tast or Quality, but verie much in Figure, and therefore be pleased to provide a Quantitie of them for your self and Friends. You may likewise dry the Plant, if you think fit. 8ly You May go If you please from Angiers to Nantes either by Water or by Land, in one day; It is a prettie town and stands upon the Loir and the Sea flowing up above the town gives Com|modity to Ships of a considerable Bur|den to come up to the Town. It is here that the greatest part of the Wines that grow upon this River or near to it, to|gether with the Brandie made thereof, which are carried out of France, are Im|barked. 33 You must return again to An|giers, and from thence to Paris with the Messenger. It is a Journey of five days, and all that I know considerable in it, is first, That when You come near to Mans (which you will leave at a Leagues Di|stance, upon the Le[...]t Hand) You will find in aboundance a Kind of Cistus, not mentioned by any that I know of, ex|cept Petrus Bellonius. Forget not to pre|serve a Branch or two, which You may Fold in your Portefoile, which for such rancounters you'l do well to be stil Pro|vided of, and You may cause make them of what Bigness You please, and have them furnished with Gray Paper within. I did allways use to Carry one of a 40 Form, with good Tyers to it in a Car|pet Bag (such as they use in France) ty|ed to the Tore of my Saddle, so that if it was My Fortune to Meet with any thing by the Way worth the Gathering, I could easily take it and preserve it with out being in Danger to Loss my Com|panie. 2ly. The Town of Chartres; in the great Church whereof (which is a 34 most stately Fabrick) K. Henry IV. was Sacred. It is a Place of great Devotion, and there is kept in it amongst other Re|licts, one of our Ladys smocks. You wil meet with several litle shops near to the church, where the chief Trade is Beads, and as they call them des Chemises de Chartres, which Devout People Buy and append to their Chaplets, and then get them to Touch the Relicts, according to the Cu|stom. You may furnish this Journey, and have Time enough at Paris to Prepare your Self for the Journey to Provence and Languedock before the Dog-Days be ended, at which Time it will be fit to be|gin your Journey. And 1st. You may take the Messenger to Lions; I think You must Pay about twentie Crowns; for the Jour|ney is of nine Days; There are not ma|ny things considerable to be seen by the way; only take Notice 1st at Nevers of the Glass-Works, and Faiance, or white Lame-works, of which the best in France are here. 2ly. At Mouline (where you will fall to Dine) [...]quire for the 35 monasterie where the body of Monsr. de Monmorancy is in[...]erred, You may see a very stately Monument of Marble. The Town is famous for the Manufactorie of Knives and Scissers. You will not miss to be troubled with a company of Wo|men, who wait upon the arrivall of Strangers, to show them quantities of this kind o[...] ware in hopes to Sell some. 3ly. Take notice of the Well of Pouge, the water is Alummous and boills up in great quantity, of a whiteish colour, as if there were meal mixed with it. 4ly. Ro|ane; which is said to be the largest Bourg in France: they call that Bourg which is not incompassed with wall or ditch. The Loir begins to be Portable here and cary Boats, But it's source is many Leagues higher. 5ly. Mont tarare; It is a very great Hill, and here You will find a change of the climate together with the change of Plants, which I leave to Your observation, and think it will be worth Your while at night to make a note of all those Plants that You meet with. Be|ing arrived at Lions You must stay some 36 time to see the place, which altho' in re|gard of its situation amongst Hils and Rivers, it be somewhat unwholsome, the Air, being either too moist, or in Summer t[...]o hot; yet I look upon it as one of the best and most important Towns in France, both for the magnificknesse of the Buildings, the great tra[...]ique it hath with almost all Places of the World, to which the situation of it betwixt two Rivers, the Soane and the Rhosne is no small advantage; for by the Soane it hath Communion not only with Burgundie, but also with the Ocean; for Chalon which stands upon the Soane, is but a days Jour|ney from Auxere, which stands upon the Saine, and that River you know disim|bogues it self in the Ocean at Haver[...]de|grace. By the Rhosne, it hath communi|on with the Mediterranean Sea, and consequently, with all the Levant. The Soane in Latine Araris is a Pleasant and very soft flowing River; the Rhosne is Fluviorum Rapidissimus. The people are very ingenious and dextrous in the matter of traffick and business, they 37 are likeways courteous & human, your most convenient Lodging, will be Aux|trois-Rois: It is a good House and nea[...] to the place where the Messenger of Pa|ris arrives. As also to the Post-House. Remember to see the Maisone-de-Villo which without exception is the most state+ly in France: Take particular notice of its Fabrick, Statues, Paintings, and an|cient Inscriptions, of which some are ex|tant upon Brass, its Fountain's, courts, &c. 2. See the great Church of St. John, and in it a most Stately and Curious Clock, upon the upper part of which, i[...]mediately before the hour strike, the blessed Virgine appears with the Angel before her, as she uses to be represented at the Annunciation, and within a little, a Cock upon the top claps his Wings and Crows, and then the hour strikes. There is likeways considerable in it, a Hand that points the minut of the hour upon the O[...]al, and altho' the parts of an Oval line, be not equally distant from the center yet the Hand which is fixed in the center, doth alwayes reach 38 that line and never exceed it, in the whole compase it maketh. 3ly. There is an Old Monument about the midle of that Faux|bourgh, by which the Messenger of Pa|ris enters they call it Tombeau-de-deux Amants. It seems to be of Roman anti|quitie. 4ly, See the Bishops House & and Gardens, the great Place before it, the Bridge over the Rhosne: And in short consider the Avenues and Compass of the Town. 5ly. Forget not to take with you your Catalogue of Books, for there are many Booksellers in this Place, that have great Magazins of Books, and have great traf|fick with all Germany, Swizerland and Italy, and it is very like, you may come by Books here that you missed of at Pa|ris; For so it happened to my self. I must not omit in this place to tell you that it will be expedient, to draw your Money from Paris, to Lions, ei|ther by Bill of Ex-change, or Letter of credit, upon some honest, substantiall Merchant, to whom yon must be sure to yet good Recommendation: By his means 39 you may return your Money, to any o|ther place as you shall have occasion, and likeways be furnished with new re|commendations as you desire; & this way you may make your Money march from place to place, without fear or danger; and if you light upon honest Men the Ex|change will cost you nothimg, unless it be from Paris to Lions; because of the disrance and that will not be above half a one per-Cent: Your Merchant at Li|ons, will be a convenient Steple for re|ceiving your Letters, or any thing else, that you please to send from any other place, and to send it forward to Paris, to be keept for you. By them you shall give advice to receive it from the Carri|ers, or otherways to the Merchant, that returnes your Money to Lions: But of these things I have said enough, for I doubt not that you are sufficiently in|formed of them already. From Lions, you take Boat to Avigni|on, which is about fi[...]tie Leagues: if the River be not very low, which seldom happeneth, you would go near to accom|plish 40 it, in two days and a half, or three at most. You have to take notice of, by the way 1st. Vienne, a little but ancient Town, five Leagues from Lions. See the forges where they make Sword-blades, the Haminers are moved by a Wheell which the Water turns, so that the Stroakes are both fre|quent and equall. The Town hangs u|pon the side of a Hill toward the River. 2ly. some nine Leagues from Vienne, there is an old Castle called Le Maisone de Pillate, the place is no otherways con|siderable than for having been the retreat of Pontius Pilate, driven here, by, God knows, what accident. 3ly. Valence, a Pretie Town only considerable for its U|niversity. 4ly. Le Pont-Sanct-Esprite seventeen Leagues lower than Valence, the Town is not very considerable, but only for the Bridge, from whence it takes its name, and which at that place stands upon the Rhosne; that which renders the Bridge so considerable, is the breadth of the River, and Impetuosity of the current; for besides other small Rivers, both the 41 Soane and the Isere, a little before You come at Valence, and several others be|low that, loss themselves therein. When you come at Avignion, You may lodge at Louxenbourg. The Town and Country belongs to the Pope, whose Legate resides in Quality of Governour. It will be fitting to stay here some Days, that You may the better take Notice of the following Particulars. 1. The Church|es and Religious Houses. 2ly. The Le|gat's Palace. 3ly. The Situation, and Avenues of the Town, together with the Walls thereof, which are high and state|ly, and it will be worth Your while to go about them in regard of the Occasion You will have to Herbarize, for here you will find many Plants that did not appear in any other part of your Journey. 4ly. The Jurie or Cantone of the Town where the Jewes dwell, I advise You by all means if You can stay of a Saturday to see their Synagogue and manner of Worship, and if you be Curious and make Enquiry, You may possibly see a Circumcision. 5ly. You may hire Horse[...] 42 to Orange, which is but half a days Jour|nie up the River. The Town and Prin|cipality belongs to the Prince of Orange; It is an ancient, tho' little Town; It was considerable in My time for the Ca|stle, which was very Strong, both by Art, and by its natural Situation, which was so high, that from thence one might have discovered seven or eight Provin|ces about, at least some part o[...] them: the Town hath an [...]niversity tho' not very considerable; The inhabitants for the most part are Protestants. There are yet extant some Monuments of antiquitie, viz a Triumphal Arch a lttle without the Town, and some ruins of a Theatre within the Town, both of which shows something of the Roman Greatness, in Respect of Modern Times; The Coun[...]ry about is fertile, and there are whole [...]lds of [...]a[...]ron. I think it might be well worth the while to enquire ab|out the best way of P[...]anting, cultivating, gathering and preparing o[...] it. Having seen these thing and Dyned, You return to Your Lodging at Avignion the same 43 day. The next day you take Horses for Aix, which is about two days Journey or two days and a half a most. If You depart from Avignion early in the morn|ing You will have time enough to see Vauclus, which is three Leagues from Avignion and then to go Dine at Cava|illion. I look upon Vaucluse as one of the most considrable things I have ever seen: it is a fountain at the foot of a great Rock very Large and [...]f immense deep|ness, which poures out so much Water as to Move four or five Milnes about half a Mile below. It is observed that the Water Diminishes and increases ac|cording to the season of the Year. In rainy Weather it abounds most, and Yet when you consider the position of it, how much it is elevated above the plain, and what vast hills and Rocks are about it, It is not conceaveable with what other Water· it should have any communion. The River that comes from it tumbles over so many stones and Craigs; that it makes a noise like the Catarracks, and having neer three quarters of a Mile to 44 fall, it becomes exceeding swift before it arrive the Plain, and there divides it self in two, and incloses a litle Meadow in Form of an Isle, and then joyns again. The Water is so Clear, finding nothing a|mong the Rocks to Defile it, that not|withstanding its Swiftness, yet it hinders not the grass to grow in it's bed. The Fi|ver is likewise recomended for excellent Trouts and Crawfish and it is agreeable to Reason they should be good that live in so pure streams; When You come the length of the Mil[...]s you must quite Your Horse, to walk up [...]o the Sour[...]e, & and for that [...] must take a guide, without which the way is not easie. As You go up you will observe upon the other side, in two other places, the Ruins of two old Castles, the one standing about a Musket shot higher than the other, in the uppermost whereof did sometimes live that Noble Philosopher, and Poet Franciscus P[...]trarcha and in the lower Donna Laura his Mistriss, in the praise of whose beautie and vertue he composed his most excelent Triumfe d' A|more; 45 a Monument that hath outlasted her familie, in which her Memorie is like to live as long as Wit and Learning continues in reputation. You may also in this place take notice of the Paper-Milns and consider that so usefull art of make|ing Paper, and labour to informe your|self well of all the particulars that when GOD shall be pleased to return you, you may make it Practicable in your own Countrey. I am sure we want not Lin|nen rags in abundance which might be preserved for this use, and not thrown into the Dunghill's, were people put once in the right way. From hence you go to Dine at Cava|illion; in the rest of the Journey to Aix, there is nothing considerable, only you have a River to pass by boat called Du|rance. Aix, is one of the most delicate Towns in France, It's the Capitall City of Provence and the seat of a Parliament. The streets are large, especialy one great street, the Buildings fair and stately, The City well watered and the Air very healthfull and Sweet. 46 From hence you go to Marseilles in half a day, you may lodge at a l' Aigle or al' teste noire. You must resolve to stay two or three days at least, for the more commodious seeing and observing the following things. 1st. the Harbory or Port, which is very spicious and deep, and exceedingly well guarded, having upon he entrie thereof to the Sea ward, which is very narrow, not only a chain drawn, but also a very strong Citidale, built within these seven or eight years, upon the one side o[...] it, and an other [...]ort upon a litle Island within the Sea, at a leagues distance from the entrie, all which rendreth it most secure from the Algiers and T[...]n[...]ies Men of Warr and other Pyrats. 2ly. the Cathedrall Church, which you may easily guesse to be very ancient, from the Modell and Architect|u[...]e thereof. It was first extructed in the ho+nor of Digna by the Greek Phocenses, who had a Colonie here. 3ly. Take notice in the [...] before the Church upon the wall looking to the Sea, of nine or ten large Brass Guns, which use upon the 47 day of the Towns great Festivitie (which is sometime in October) to be loaden with Bull and discharged by so many of the best gunners of the Town, a[...]ter great Mass is ended, at a white mark placed on the Side of the hill, on the other side of the Harbour. He that shoots nearest the Mark is esteemed the best Gunner for that year. They begin to fire just as the Arch-Bishop comes out of the Church. Who having celebrated Mass in Ponti|ficalibu[...], returnes to his own Hous[...] ac|companied with the Consul and chief Magistrats of the Place, and generally a[...]l the Gentlemen & citizens of the best fashi|on, in their best apparell and a great consort of Musick. 4ly. Nostre dame de la gard, a Castle upon the Top of the Hill to the Southward of the Town, in in the going thither, you will do well to bestow a whole day, and take with you a couple of Souldiers, from the Ci|tidale, or else a Couple of other Souldiers armed at least with Swords, and let one of them cary a couple of botles o[...] Wine with bread and what else you think fit, 48 as provision for that day, the other may cary a Basket with you emptie, being thus accourted, you may Herbarize upon the way to the Castle, and put a litle quantitie of every Herb you find into your emptie basket, the better to judge of it at your return; as also of what Seeds you find you may put up some for your own and friends use, you may returne by the way of the Sea, and so Herbarize all thereabouts. It is a most excellent place for Varietie of Plants, a|mongst the rest take particular notice of the Tarto[...]rair Massiliensium, upon the Sea side you may likewise take notice, what Stones or shells, Mosses or any other naturall curiosities you can observe, & if any be worth the preserving bring them along with you. 5ly I would have you bestow half a day in a boat upon the Sea without the Harbour, but so as it be very calm, for then you will easily se the botom of the Water, espe|cially where it is not very deep, because the Water hath no Motion of ebbing or flowing, and so you may possibly 49 light upon curiosities worth the gathe+ring, for the taking up of which, you must provide Creepers, which the Sea|men know how to use. 6ly. Take notice of the situation Fabrick, and Avenues of the Town, especially some Shops upon the Shoare, where you will find many curiosities, especially from the Levant. I must recommend my self to you here, but especially for a good hand|some Tree of red Corall; as also one of those that are black, but are not true Co|rall, and what else you think fit; I shall hold you good accompt, for all ex|penses; you may send them with your own things to Lions, with Order to your Friend there to send them to Paris, to be received by your Factor and keept for you. 7ly. The Place is commend|ed for perfumes, sweet-Powders, Franchi|pane-Gloves, &c. But there is great cheat|ing both in the Prices and Quantities of the things; therefore take heed to your self, if you buy any of them: I did formerly forget to tell you that Avig|nion is famous for the same things, but especially for Gloves; whereof the Ma|nufactorie 50 is very good; and Essences. But now I return to Marsails where 8ly. Take occasion frequently to view the Fish-market, where you will not miss to see great variety of strange Fishes well worth the observing, and for that end I wish you to acquaint your self with the Icones Piscium, together with their description, by Petrus Bellonius, it is in a Long 80. and not very thick, & therefore you may take it along with you from Pari. If any of these Fishes which are not common with us can be preser|ved or keept any way; as I doubt not but you will find inventions to do it, you will exceedingly oblidge us to bring them along with you, or send them as said is: Be pleased to enquire ches les Espiciers for a kind of Seed which they call Graine d' Avignion, they sell it in great quantity to Dyers who use it for Dying Yellow; it is the Lycium Gallicum Dalechampij; It is a Shrub not common here, nor yet in the North of France, and therefore worth the taking notice of; I would have you bring us some quantity of the graine 51 for a Show about an ounce or so: But because I suspect, that which the Gros|sers sell is dryed; therefore I think it will be more profitable to search at A|vignion, where it grows plentifully, for some that is better conditioned for your own use. In your herborization at Mar|saills especially upon the Hill, amongst other rare Plants, you will find Mypum Montis Ceti, sive herba terribilis Narb[...]|n[...]nsium Lobelij. 9ly. Take a view of the Country a|bout Marsaills from some eminent Place, especially east from the Town, where the fertility is so great and the Country-Houses, and Gardens, so thick, that they use to call it the Suburbs o[...] Marsaills, and say merrily, that Marsaills and its suburbs is bigger than Paris: The great conveniencie of these Houses is to acc[...]m|modat the Citizens with a retireing Place, in time of Plague, as also to divert themselves in Summer, and to provide necessars for House keeping. At Marsaills you must hire Horses to Frayole, which is some three dayes Jour|ney 52 east ward toward Neice; In this Journey, besides the things of Pleasure you will see in this higher Provence, you will have the best herborization, almost all the way, that you can possibly desire; you must part from Marsaills early in the morning, that you may have the more time to herbarize by the way, & that you may arrive in good time be|fore it be Night at Saincte Beaume, a Place of much Devotion, and the greatest So|litude in the World. In the midle of a vast and terrible Rock, there is a great cave where St. Maria Magdalen did pen|nance for many years before her Death: it's now upon that consideration turned into a Chapell, with some few Rooms clacht up against the face of a Rock, like a Bird cage upon the side of a Wall, where some Religious Men (as I think Jacobins) keep the Place, and serve the cure in the Chapel every Day receiving confessions, & giving the Sacraments to such as require them. There is a little kind of a chainge-house close to it, that provides Meat for Men and Horses, at 53 their own expences, but you mnst lye within the convent; in the morning you must take a Guide to the Top of the Craig, where there is an other Chapel of Devotion just in that Place where the Angels did use once a Day, to carrie the Saincts, from the cave to administer consolation to her. As you go and come you may herbarize, for the whole side of the Hill before you come at the Rock, is a Wood: Upon your Arrival at the convent it is expedi|ent to give some little thing out of Cha|rity, which I think is bestowed in main|taining the place. You will ordinarly find without the Chapel Door, some few little Merchants that sell Reads, and a|mongst other things, Silk-Cords of the just length and greatnes of the Saint, all which People use to buy and carrie in to the Chapel, there to touch the Sta|tue of the Sainct; which l[...]es just in that Place, and in that Posture, that she used to do pennance in; you will likeways see within the Chapel a very Large Well of good Water, which they say did first spring there by miracle, for 54 use of the Sainct. From hence you take Horses to Sainct Maximine, a little Town, in the great Church whereof, amongst other reliques, the Body of St. Maxi|mine, Uncle to St. Mary Magdalen, & sometimes Bishop of Marsaills, is preser|ved: If you please you may take this op|portunity of seeing it, and there dyne, for it is a little out of your way to Brig|nole, where you must lye the second Night, and the Day following you Dine at a Village called Luques, and then go to lye ae Frayote, or Freust, which you please to call it. Its a Town of Roman antiquity, of which there are yet some rests to be seen, as aqueducts, &c. The Town is not otherways considerable at all; you will do well here, besides your own Guide that goes along with you to take another Man from the Town, with an emptie Basket, to wait upon you to the Hil, called Astral, about a League from the Town, where you will have one of the most pleasant Heboriza|tions in the World: Amongst a great variety of Shrubs, Plants, and Trees, 55 you will find a great Number of Arbutus, loaden with Fruit, of a most Beautifull aspect; yet, somewhat insipid to the taste, It may safely be eaten, but doth not much allure the taste. Several kind of Spinous Shrubs, amongst which Acaeia Secunda Dioscorides sive Aspalathus, when you come upon the Top of the Hil, upon the way to Neice, there is an Inn, where you may make a Shift for Dinner, and a little beyond it, upon the North-side of the Hil, you will meet with aboundance of Cork-Trees, Ilex, Abics, Picca, &c. I must give you notice here, that in this place, you are not, above two or three hours ryding, from Cane, a Village, upon the Sea-side, some eight or nine Lea|gues distant from Neice, where (were you to go to Italy,) you might commodiously hire a Fel[...]oque of two Oares a side for Ge|nova, and arrive there in four or five days, Ter a Terre, that is Landing every Day to your Dinner, and to your Lod|ging, in some convenient Town: But I shall say nothing of Italy, untill I un|derstand 56 from your self, that you have a design for it. I shall therefore returne to Astrate, where having satisfied your self, with herbarizing you may returne to Freiust; loaden with Seeds, and Plants, and there consider them at your ease: From thence you may return to Marseills in two days and so to Avignion, by the way of Arles, Sainct Eloy de Cro[...] Tarascon. At Arles, remember to see the entry into a great Passage all Vaulted, which they say goes under the Rhosne to Nismes, & was made by the Romans. At Tarascon, you will see on the other side of the River Bea[...]caire, most famous for a very great Faire or Market, keept there once a Year, to which great Numbers of Merchants from many Places of the Levant, do resort. From Avignion, you go [...]o Nismes, but you must part by times in the mor|ning that you may have the conveniencie to see Pont de Gard, which is one of the finest Peeces of Antiquity extant in the World. It is a Part of that A 57 Aqueduct, which the Romans built for conveying a part of the water of the Rhosne from the Pont St. Esprite to Nismes, & because at the Place where the Bridge stands, the River Gard runs low be|twixt two Hills, there was a necessity of raising the Aqueduct so high as to le|vel the Tops of these Hils, therefore it hath three Ranges of Arches, the lower|most are the biggest but fewest in num|ber; they are likeways the broadest, for besides that they support the second row of Arches, they do likeways serve on the other side for a Passage and Bridge for foot, Horse· and coaches to the high-way: The second supports the third, which are not so high, but many more in number, on the Top of all is the Aqueduct five or six foot broad, and four or five foot deep, it is compassed with great Flag Stones on all sides, exceedingly well cemented together, insomuch that I be|leeve it be yet very intire, except it be some few of the covering Stones that are broak and fallen away. Nismes is some three Leagues, but 58 they are long ones, from the Pont de Gard; And I must tell you, altho' the way you are to follow from Avignion to Nismes, by the Pont de Gard, be for the most part very barren, yet you will find the Weeds for the most part are, Cistum ledum Narbonense, thime, laven|der, Satureia, mirtles, timelaea, corranda, Smilax aspera, Lentiscus, Terebinthinus, Staebe Salamantica, caliculis argenteis B. Ilex, Sabina baccifera, Iunip: fructu ma|jori, Cistus mas, Cistus faemina, thymum cephaloton Clematis, vel flammula repens, aespalathus· phyllarelea Folio non serrata, Jesiminum luteum bacciferum, Stellaria argente[...] Ambrosia campestris, datura simplici calice albo, aster attious foliolis ad florem rigidis, aster lunariae folio, flore trifolij. Jacea cianoides flore albo folio multifido, trifo|lium bituminosum, acarna lutea, Erin|gium luteum monspel: bicopsis flore carnec, Carduus Spharocephalus ceruleus, ama|ranthus viridis, campanula flore plumeo, attriplex non descript[...] Semine singulari 59 binis foliolis incluso, Linaria minor lu|tea, paliurus and a great many more that I cannot remember of; but it will be well worth the while to take a Note of the Plants you find in every Place. At Nismes you must lodge Aux A|renes; you will see there a brave Am|phitheatre built by the Romans, in greater integritie yet than any that ever I saw in Italy, the Stones of which it is built, as well as the Pont de Gard, are of incredible Bigness, and altho' the things themselves be somewhat ruined; yet they show greater Statelynesse and Magnificence than any modern Buil|ding. There are some other remaine[...] of antiquitie about the Town which will be showen you. From Nismes you take Horses for Mompellier, which is a Days Journey from it; You dine at Lunel which is about mid-way, and because I have nothing to say of this Place, I shall intreat you to bring me three or four ounces of the Seeds of palliurus, for amongst other uses they 60 serve for, they are the best Bullets for Cauters that can be, but it is for an o|ther use I would have them. You will do well to stay some days at Montpellier: You may lodge at the white Horse, or otherways as you find your accommodation. It is a delicat sweet Town, the Streets well built, but narrow, because of the heats which are as great here as in any place of France, nor is it strange it should be so, being it is near upon the same latitude with Rome. You will do well to see the Physick Schools, there is some Curiosities to be seen in them. 2ly. The Physick-Garden; in which you will find many excellent Plants; by making a little ac|quaintance with the Gardener, you may command what Seeds he has. 3ly. You will do well to make ac|quaintance with some of the Students or young Doctors of Physick, by whose means and in whose company you may see all the places about Monpelier that are fit for Herbarizing, as particular|ly Magelon, a little Island of the Medi|terranean 61 Sea, lying within Sight of Monpellier. But by all means of the World, you must be sure to make a Journey ten or twelve Leagues from Mompellier, to a Place amongst the Hils, which for the great varity of Plants, that is found in and about it, is called Hortus Dei. You may likeways find some variety of Shells and productions of the Sea, to Mompellier and the Shoar, or Coast, which is near the Town. I must not omit to tell you, that if you please to make a Collection of dry Plants, this is a very fit Place for it, both because of the heat which helps to dry them, both soon and well; & also be|cause of the Garden & Fields, that abound with Plants, that are not common, & likeways, because of the good occasion you have to send them in a Box, close packt up, (as you have seen mine) to Lions, &c. In like manner, if you will make a Collection of Seeds, the best will be to keep them in their Seed-Vessels, and 62 write upon every parcell, that you may dispose of them afterwards according to your pleasure. This I wish you to do in every Place, that afterwards when it shall please God to bring you safely to bring them home, Tho' you should not be able to raise them in this climat, yet you might have enough to know them by. Do not forget the Booksellers here, who may possibly have some of the Books you look for. I must desire one Favour of you in this Place, that You would be pleased to enquire after the Psilothrum or Depilatory Ointment, which they use in Rome in the Baths, and which I was so Unluckie as not to mind when I was upon the place. It you can find the Receipt, cause make some small quan|tity of it to try if it be Right, which you will easily know by this, that being rubbed upon any hairy place, within a little space, when you come to wipe it off, it takes the hair without burning or scalding the Skin; but if it either burn or discolour the Skin, it is not right. The 63 place is afterward to be washed with a little warm Water. I must likeways intreat you to be at ths pains to cause dry me a Viper or two, it will be e|nough to dry their Skins with the heads at them, stopped with Flax, or Cotton: but in no way must you medle with them your self, because there is Danger, but imploy one of those fellows that brings them to the Apothecaries, who for a small matter will do it. Some day or other, you may be at the paines to see Frontiniague famous for that generous Moschat Wine, called by the name of the place, you may Collation there, and Harbarize as you go and come. When you are satisfied here, it will be fit to set forward to Thoulouse. You will see by the way, 1st. Pesenas a Pretie Town, where it may fall you to Dyne, Au tapis vert, hard by the Town, there is a very fine House, with excellent Gardens, be|longing to the Prince of Condie, it is worthy of your seeing. 2ly. Beziers; 3ly. Narbone, which is a very strong and well fortified Town, near upon 64 the borders of Catalonia. It hath com|munion with the Sea, by means of a little River, that runs through the Town. Be pleased to see the great Church, and in it a Peece of excellent Painting, representing the History of our Saviour's raising Lazarus from the Dead. Take likeways notice of the Organes, the great Pipes whereof [...]stand by the Pillar sides, at a great distance from the Organ roome, and have the Wind conveyed to them by a secret conduct; which tho' it be no difficult thing, yet it is not common. From Narbonne, you have six or seven Leagues to Carcassone; They are two, Ville and City; the City stands upon a hight about half a Leagues distance from the Town: It is twice encom|passed with Walls and Ditches, and is very strong, as being upon the Frontiers o[...] Catalonia. The Town stands below in the Plaine, and is much larger, better [...]uilt, and better inhabited, & Walled a|bout with a more modern kind of Fortifi|cation. The Town is commended for 65 Cloath-works, & making of Combs: The Tradesmen use to bring them to the Innes as soon as they understand any Stran|ger to be arrived; but your best will be to go to their Houses, and see all, & try severals, for so you may best please your self, and make the best bargain too. There is of all Prices, insomuch that I have seen ten Pistoles refused for one single Comb, of Box-Wood. But in|deed it was of a vast bigness and most curiously carved. You may have very good ones for three, foure, or five Li|vres a peece, as also some for 30, 40, & 50 Solds. To be short, there is of all kindes and prices, and I shall earnestly intreat you, to bestow foure or five Crowns, upon some of the midle sort, that is next to the best, and some again of the next degree to them for me, (be|cause of the carving) to add to my Tradescants. They must be packt up in a little wooden Box, which the Trades|men know very well how to do. From Carcassone to Thoulouse, you have twelve Leagues, viz. Foure to 66 Vilpeinte, two to Castelna[...]· d' Arri, two to Vignonnet and four to Thoulouse. The Second Town (in the opinion of some) in France, how justly, I leave to your self, when you shall see it. The Town indeed is very big, and well built, all of Brick; But not very populous, I think for the want of Trade, in regard it lyes farr from the Sea. Amongst o|ther things, take notice of the following particulars 1st. The Town House, in the Court whereof they Show you the place where the Scaffold was erected, that Monsr: de Momorancy was behea|ded upon, and some of his Blood yet Sticking upon the Wall. 2ly. The Par|liament House, into which (if it be sit|ting) you must neither carry Sword, nor Spurs, unless you make account to pay a Forfaulter. 3ly. The Bridge over the River Garonne, which is very stately, built of Brick, somewhat after the Model of the new Bridge of Paris, having a Foot walk raised on every side, so that these that pass on foot, are not troubled with Coaches, Cairts, &c. 67 that pass in the midle. 4ly. In the con|vent (as I take it) of the Cordeliers, there is a Peece of ground under a Chap|el, belonging to the Church, wherein all Dead Bodies, that lye eight and fourtie hours, are so dryed, but with|out the consumption of any substantiall part, that they become incorruptible for ever thereafter. They will show you in a Vault, hard by the Chapell, some hundred of Bodies, standing a|bout the Walls intire and dryed, as I have said, amongst the rest they show one bodie of a Woman, called la Belle Paule, Mistrels as it is said to some King, whose name I do not remember: But it is some hundreds of Years since she died, and yet me thinks there is a beautifull Proportion observable in her Face. The rest of the curiosities con|sist in Churches, religious-houses, &c. which I leave to your self. From Thoulouse to Montauban you about halfe a Dayes Journey, it is famous for the Protestant University; It stands somewhat high and declines 68 a little toward the Bridge, that stands over the Tarne, which not far below the Town, casts it self into the Garonne. It hath many fine Fountains; but e|specially one, which they call the Gri|[...]one. It hath good trafique, because of the situation betwixt Thoulouse and Li|moge and Paris, as also because of the Commoditie of the River, to Bourdeaux: the Town and Bridge are all built of Brick. It was formerly very strong, but because of its Rebellion is now Dis|mantled of all Fortification. From Moutauban to Bourdeaux, you may go by Water in a very short Time, because the River is rapid; the Coun|trey about is very fertile and Pleasant. You will see by the Way, Agen, an ancient City, where Iulius Scaliger was Born: within 4 or 5 Leagues of Bourdeaux stands Cadiliac, a most deli|cate Castle, belonging some time to the Duke d' Espernon; You must not faill to see them. At Bourdeaux, I did lodge au Cha|peau rouge; but I have been told since, 69 that there are more commodious Inns in Town, which You may easily be ad|dressed to. You will meet with severall of our Countreymen in this Place; But particularly, Sir David Inglish, and Harie Iossy· are of my acquain|tance. And therefore, I must desire you to see them, & permit this, to present them my service. I must likeways in|treat you, to be at the pains, to enquire for a Doctor of Physick, of the Reli|gion that lives here, whose name I have forgotten; but you will know him by this, that he hath written in French Something against Doctor Willes de Febribus: which I remember Sir David Inglish, did once send me to Paris. And therefore, he may Pro|bably know the Man: The Reason I desire You to speak with him, is, That you may learn from himself, what he hath Published, upon this or any other Subject; and whatsoever they be, I must intreat You earnestly, to buy them for me; for I have a very great Ho|nour for the Mans Parts, tho' I know 70 not his Person; and I had the evil Luck to lend that Book, which Sir David Inglish sent me, to a Doctor at Paris, that did never render it me a|gain. Remember to see in the Town, 1st. Piliers tutilarrs, which are the Ruins of an Ancient Roman Temple. 2ly. The Ruins of an Amphitheatre, without the Town, of Roman Antiquity like|ways. 3ly. The Cheasteau Trompette, in which there is a Garison keept by the King. It was pulled down by the Citi|zens, in the Time of their last Rebellion; but since re-built much better and stronger. 4ly. The Port, which if you happen to see in the Time of Vintage, will be well furnished with Ships from all Places, and it may be from Scotland. 5ly. That peece of Ground without the Town, which they call Grave; which brings forth the best Wine about Bourdeaux, and which for the most part is sold within the Town, at as great a Rate as ordinary French Wine gives with us: And therefore being there is no great quantity of it, and that it 71 would not turn the Merchants to Ac|compt to send it here, you may easily guesse how much Graves Wine We Drink in Scotland, altho' Our People are pleased to Flatter themselves, that all their Clarets are such; The rest I leave to others, to inform you of. I must only tell you, You will meet with as good Fruits here as in any place of France, Des Treffices in Latine Tuberae Terrae, they are found under the Ground by the Hogs, who use to smell them before they come at them, and by the noise and gests they make, give no|tice to their keeper, who presently puts them by, and Digs the Trefice for him|self: They are in great esteeme, & being Boyled and pared, use to be eaten by themselves with Pepper and Oyle, or else cut down with other things en Ra|goust. There are likeways here a kind of small Birds but exceeding fatt, which they call Ortolans, which are much pri|zed for great Delicacies. From Bourdeaux you go to Rochelle. In the way you pass by these Places; first 72 Blay, Ville et City, The City stands on a Hight and Commands the River. It was at this Place that of old the English Ships were Obliged to liver their Canon, which were permitted the Scots (as a Pri|viledge) to keep a Board; as they pas|sed to Bourdeaux. 2ly. Xaintes or Saintes, the Capital Town of Xaintonge; It stands upon the River Charante; here are some Rests of Roman antiquity, as of an Amphitheatre, &c. But especially of an Arch, upon the Bridge over the Cha|rante, on which you will read this in|scription. Caesari nep: D. Iulij Pontifici A. There is also an inscription, on the reverse which I remember not. You will see likeways here a Steeple, the Stairs whereof that lead to the Top are on the outside. 3ly. Brouage; about half a Days Journey from Saintes, a little, but one of the most regularly for|tified Towns in all France, in which there is a continuall Garison keept, as a Guard for the Salt, of which vast quan|tities is made here, by the heat of the Sun every Year in this manner. They let 73 in the Sea water by a [...], cut purpose|ly in the ground into severall ponds, cut out likeways of purpose of a cer|tain deepness: they fill them in the Sum|mer time, and then stop the entries that no more water come in; when the Sun hath co[...]cted it enough, they gather it together i[...] [...]eaps, and car|ry it to places appointed for it. The Town stands upon a little River which i[...] navigable, because the Sea flowes a good way above it, the Salt marshes about the Town, are little less than four Leagues about, & render the Town by so much the more strong. You must be sure to arrive there at a good Hour in the day, for at Sun-setting the Gates are shut, and none whatsoever can enter. You must Salute the Governour, or in his absence, the Chief[...]Off[...]cer, and desire Libertie of him to view the Town, which he will readily grant you, and appoint a Souldier to wait upon you; from the Walls, you will discover the Marshes about the Town, and then he will bring you to the Arsenal, and there you will see their Magazine of Ai[...]s, and then having gi|ven 74 something to the Souldier to drink, you may thank the Governour & take leave of him. This is all that is to be seen in this place except you make ac|count to see the Isle of Ol[...]rone, which lyes without the mouth of the little Ri|ver, about a League or two in the Sea. From Brouage you have seven Leagues to the Rochell, upon the Way to which you will have occasion to see a great many Sea-Plants, such as Kali, Kali Spinosum, Salicornia, Cakeile S[...]ra|pionis, Papaver corniculatum luteum, Eringium Marinum, Crithmum; with many others. The Rochel is much more famous for what it was, than for what it is, It was the strongest hold, the Protestants had in France, but after the taking of the Town by Lewes the 13th. the Walls thereof were quite demolished, so that scarcely the vestiges thereof re|maine: the Harbour is considerable, for it enters within the midle of the Town. At [...]resent it hath a considerable trafique [...] Salt, white Wines, &c. 75 You must be at the pains to see the Isle of Re, about a League from the Town, but not above a quarter of a League from the Land. As you go from the Rochel, to the place where you are to take Boat to cross over, they will show you the Ruins of that Digue, which Cardinal Richlieu caused make by sinking of Barks, loa|den with Stones, to hinder all relief for the Town by Sea, and it was obser|veable, that the very day after the Town surrendered, the Digue was broke down by Storm, which if it had done but three days sooner, it may be justly que|stioned whether the Town had ever been taken, especially seeing the English Fleet was ryding before the Isle of Re. In the Isle of Re, there is a Citadale, near to which you will be put a Shore upon the Island, but it is not usual to per|mit Strangers to enter into it. At the east end of the Island, there is a little Town called St, Martines, in which there are many Dutch Families, because of the great trafique the Dutch hath with 76 this place, for Salt and white-Wines. The Island is generally of a Sandie Soil, and only made fertile by the Sea-Ware which they throw upon it, and which in my Opinion is the cause, that all the Wines both of the Island and about the Rochel tast brackish, especially when they begin to be old. You will find a|mongst other Plants upon the Island a|boundance of Pancratium, except you come in the latter Season of the Year, when probably it may not be found. You may returne at Night to the Rochelle, from whence you have a Messenger to Paris, upon the way to which there is nothing that I need to trouble you with, except Poictiers, that I have not seen my self, and therefore can say nothing of; From Poicteirs your way is to Amboise midway betwixt Tours and Blois of which before. I must advertise you here, that if you please you may make this Tour an o|ther way viz. To Nantes, as in the for|mer advice concerning the Petit Tour, as far as Nantes, from thence to the Ro|chell, 77 Bourdeaux, Toulouse, Narbonne, Montpellier, Avignion, and so all the rest throw Provence; and then back to Avig|nion, from whence to Lions, and so to Paris with the messenger, or coach, which you like best. For your better under|standing in the Country, it will be fit to carry a Map, or Carte of France along with you, to look upon the situation of e|very place as you pass, for doing of which a litle time will suffice once a day. Let it be illuminat for the more easie discerning the different counties and their boun|ding. You will do well likewise to car|rie a Book with you in 80. called Le Voyage de France, which will inform you of many particulars, that either were not at all seen and observed by me, or else have escaped my Memory; and indeed it is no great wonder if they have, having been so lazie as not to make any Memoire of them whilst they were yet recent in my mind. And this is one Reason of the tumultuarinesse and disorder of this Letter, but I am well pleased to think, that by the amende|ments 78 you will make both in seeing, ob|serving, and writing down all things more particularly, we shall have occa|sion afterward to put the Voyage in a better Dress; I must likeways beg your Pardon for not having writen to you sooner, having been several times called out of Town since I began to write this Letter: If you find it tedious in read|ing, blame your self for being the cause thereof, and be the more patient, in re|gard I shall not have occasion to be any more so tedious, unless you go for Italy, and give me a timeous advice of your Intentions. I shall conclude all with my best wi|shes for your health & happy Return, & most earnestly intreat you not to grudge us with the effects of a Spare hour, that seeing at this distance, we cannot be so happy, as to enjoy you personally; we may at least by this next best way enter|tain a Correspondence, which I assure you will be a great Kindness to your Friends here, but to none so much as 79 to my self who cannot be indifferent in any thing, that concernes you, And therefore cannot but be sollici|tous, to hear often from you, as the only thing, that can supply the want of your person, So much desired and longed for, by &c. 81 LETTER III. CONTAINING Advice for Travelling into ITALY. Written to a Friend IT is much better to go into Italy in the latter end of Autumn, than in the Spring; Because the Change of the Air is not so much from one Ex|treme to another in that Season, as in the other; for the Mildness of the Win|ter in Italy (especialy upon the South side of the Appennine) doth not so much re|cede from the Temperatness of Autumn in France, as the Heat of Summer in I|taly exceeds the Mildness of the Spring in 82 France. It is certain, that if a Man intend to stay but a half a Year, it is better to begin the Journey in Autumn, and fi|nish it in the Spring, than to begin in the Spring, and finish it in Autumn, and so be obnoxious to the exces|sive Heats of Summer. If one intend to stay one or more Years, it is un|doubtedly best to begin the Journey in Autumn, because the Winter, being much more clement than usually it falls out with us, will be easily supported, & all the Heat that happens in the follow|ing Summer, in regard it comes by de|grees, will not so readily affect the Bo|dy, that hath been already inured to the Air of the climate, for some Time before. The most convenient way of ma|king the Toure of Italy, (in my opini|on) is to go through Provence to Cane, a small inconsiderable Town upon the Frontiers of Provence, and there to hire a Felluck to Genoua, and, if you can|not get one at Cane, to go to Nize, which is but six or seven Leagues fur|ther, 83 where you will be sure to find one; a Felluck is ordinarily of four Oares, and hath this advantage that you go in it Ter' a Terre, that is so near the land, that in the case of any danger by Storm or otherwise, you may easily run on Shoar and escape it, and besides, land as often as there is any Town or other thing worthy the seeing, and likewayes ly a Shoar every Night, at some good Town or other. A Felluck will serve to carrie half a dozen of persons with ease, besides the Rowers: The Price is not fixt but more or less as the Fellucks hap|pen to be more or fewer in number. Ours cost us about 11 or 12 Crowns, in regard there were but few at Cane, but you may chance to get one for 8, or 9. especially if ye be few in number and not much Baggage; You may provide every morning to take along with you, Wine and what Victuals you please, the rather because sometimes it will happen that you will have no conveniency of any Town about Mid-day, and therefore must Dine aboard Your Fellucke. 84 The first thing You will meet with, worthy the taking notice of, is Nize, a City belonging to the Duke of Savoy, it lyes near to the Sea syde, at the very foot of the Alps, and hath a very strong Cittadale belonging thereto: some two miles from thence stands Villa Franca, one of the best Ports in Italy, it belongs likewise to the Duke of Savoy, and is guarded with two Castles, one whereof stands on the top of a Rock, upon which growes in great aboundance the Ficus Indica. Some three miles farther upon the Coast stands the Town and Palace of Monaco, or Morgues, It is a Princi|palitie by it self, and hath very litle land belonging to it: The place is strong standing upon a Rock, which is not ac|cessible, save at the side where the Palace stands, and where it joynes with the land, all the rest being compassed with the Sea. In the Palace they use to show 1. The Princes Wairdrob, in which there is good store of Silver plate, and other Rich furniture, 2. Severall rooms as Halls, Galleries, Chambers &c. well 85 furnished with Hangings, Cabinets, Pi|ctures, &c. 3. A little Garden upon the top of the Rock, behind the Palace, made up of earth brought thither on purpose. At the foot of the Hill near the Town there are store of Carobe Trees, or Siliqua Dulcis, Bauhini in Pinace. I must not omit to tell You that you must be sure at your first leaving of France in the last Town that You happen to be in, whither it be Cane or any other, to get a Certificate of your health and free|dome from the Plague, as also of the freedom of that Town. There are persons appointed in every place for giving of such Bills, or Patents de Sainte, as they call them. Their Subscriptions are known to the next Townes about, where you are to go, so that it is not easie to counterfit, and besides it were very dan|gerous to doe so; They are very scrupu|lous in this matter upon all the Coast of Liguria, for fear of contagion; So that when you arrive at any Town, before you go a shore, you must send one of your Boat-men, with your Certification to be 86 shown to such as are appointed for those matters in that Place, who immediately upon the Sight of the Bill permit you, la Practica, that is Libertie to stay in the Town as long as you please, and do what you will. When you part from that, You must take a new Cer|tificat to the next Place, and so of the Rest untill you come at Ligorn, where this niceness will end. You must carrie with you no Secret Weapon, as Dagger, Pocket Pistols, or the like: And this is general all o|ver Italy, except only in the Kingdom of Naples, and States of Venice and Milan, where it is permitted to wear Daggers. At most Towns in Italy, You will be oblidged to leave yonr Hulster-Pistols, and sometimes your Sword with the Guard at the Gate you enter in by: And then they will ask you, by what Gate you are to go out, and ac|cordingly Your Arms will wait for you, which they will know to be yours, by the delivery of a Nick-stick given You as you enter, and which for that purpose, 87 You must carefully keep. In most Places, Strangers are permitted to weare their Swords. Your Cloak-Bag like|ways will be visited at every Town, to to see that there be no Customable Goods in it, and if there be any Books, you must give up a List of them to the Visitor, or Inquisitor appointed for that end, and he will Signe it with Or|der to let them pass, Providing, there be no Prohibited Book amongst them, For if there were any such, it would be Dangerons; yet there are wayes enough to convey Books, or any other thing of whatsoever Nature, or Quality, from any Sea-port, without any Dan|ger, which you will easily under|stand, after your being a while in the Country. From Monaco you will easily reach Oneglia, which is at about twelve Miles distance, and about 5 Miles further Albenga, from thence you have seven Miles to N[...]li, & ten more to Savona, from whence there rests five Miles to Genoua, All the Coast, of Liguria, from Nize to 88 Genoua, & some days Journey beyond Genoua towards Ligorn, is nothing but rude Alps, for the most part infertile and unhabitable, except towards the Bottom near the Sea, where there are little Smal Valleys here and there, both deli|cious and Fruitfull. For the rest it is wonderfull to see with what industry & trouble, they have been able to place little smal Villages, as it were in the Clefts of the Hills, and Plant Olive Trees, where one would think nothing but crows could venture to Big. All this Tract is extreamly hot, especially in Summer, being directly opposit to the South, and altogether guarded from the North, So that the reflection of the Sun beames, makes a Heat almost in|supportable. Genoua la Superba, so called from the sumptuousness of its Buildings, and so they use to give other epithets to other Towns, as Roma la Sane|ta, Fiorenza la Bella, Bolognia la Grassa, Padua la Dotta, Venetia la Rieta, &c. It is said that Genoua has Montagnie senza legno, Mare senze pesce, Donne senza Vergonia, 89 & Gente senza sede. It is a Republick & the Government administred by a Senate. It is a City of great Trade and very Rich, and it is said they account usury no great Sin: It being their Maxim, that Cento per Cento e Niente, Cento Cinquanto per Cinto e quelcha cosa, du Cento per Cento e quadagnio Hone[...]io. You may take notice in the Place; First, of the Situa|tion of the Town, and so you may Her|barize towards the West-side. 2ly. The Senate House, 3ly. The Churches, and particularly that of St. Lorenzo, which is the Cathedrall, a Stately Fa|brick Crusted with Marble. 4ly. That famous Street, called la Strada Nova, which is composed of so many Palaces, most of them of Marble: you must by all means endeavour to see the most con|siderable Palaces. Within you will find them most delicatly Adorned with all sorts of fine Things, as Statues, Paintings, &c. You must also see their Gardens, where besides severall sorts of Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees, you will likeways 90 find delicat Fountains, Fish-ponds, and Grotto's; as particularly in the Palace of the Principe d'Oria; I would likeways have you see the Palace of Signior Baldi, and some other Houses of Pleasure espe|cially towards the Sea-port, where they stand at the foot of the Hill over look|ing one another as they mount in de|grees in form of a Theatre, and all of them having a full view of the Sea-port, which is very spacious and very deep; but in my Opinion, not so very well guarded from stormes. That which I find most considerable in it is, the Mole, which secures the entrie thereof, it being the best and strongest and in the deepest Water I ever saw. At the east end of the port there is a litle Promontory called Capo de Fara, upon which stands a High Turret, which they call la Lanternâ, from the Top whereof they use to disco|ver all Vessells at Sea at a considerable distance. 5ly. Forget not to visit the Book-Sellers, but in Regard this is a generall Remark not to be omited, in every Town where there any, I shall 91 say no more of it here, but shall put You in mind of it now and then. From Genoua You must again provide Your self of a Felluck to Ligorn, which you will find readier and at an easier rate, because of the more frequent Traffick and intercourse, than from Cane or Nize, you will pass by Porta Fino, Leresi, Viare|gia, &c. and you wil not find many things considerable more than I have already noted on the Coasts of Liguria betwixt Genoua and Nize, except that when ye pass Leresi a litle, you begin to discover a large plain, part of which belongs to the state of Genoua, and therein are the Quarries that furnish all Italy with the best Marble, and the rest is the Principa|lity of Massa; For the better seeing of which if you please you may go from Genoua by Horse to Ligorne. Tuscany begins about Viaregia, the greatest part whereof is under the Do|minion of the Great Duke of Tuscany. Ligorn is no antient, but yet a very Handsom and well built City, by Fer|dinand the first, Great DUKE of Tuscany, of whom you will see a most 92 stately Statue or rather Colosse, with slaves Chain'd at his Feet, on each side kneeling; a litle without the Gate as you go to the Sea-Port. The Town is regularly fortified, they say, by the con|trivance of the Duke of Northumberland, who was banished out of England in the Reign of Queen Eli[...]abeth, and well receaved and much esteemed by the then Duke of Tuscany, for his excellent parts and Qualifications. The Duke for in|couragment of Trade hath granted great Immunities to Merchants of all Nations whatsomever, which is the great cause that the Town flourishes so much in Trade, and is so well Peopled: Severall Nations have established great Factories here, but especialy the English and Hollanders who have made this place, as it were the staple of all their commerce into the Levant. The Jews also have a very great freedome here and are not distinguished by any particular Mark, as in other places, from other Merchants, but live Honourably in a particular Street of the Town, built by them|selves, 93 yet not sequestrated from the rest of the Town by any Wall or Gate, as they use to be in all other places, where I have seen them. The English Merchants live very splendidly, and are very hospitable and courteous, especially, to their Countrymen, that Travell that way, under which name they comprehend all that are Subject to our King: The Jews Synagogue here is the best in Italy; and therefore wor|thy your seeing. They observe our Sa|turnday, so that if You please to stay, You may see their form of Worship. You must take particular notice of the Sea-Port, which is undoubtedly the most secure and finest in all Italy, in which You will see the great Dukes Gallies, which he kee[...]s for a Guard, to his Coun|trey against the Turks men of War. It is worth the while to see a Gallie put out to Sea, or, as she comes in, for so one may see the Discipline of the Slaves to whom the Bosson delivers the word of Command by the noise of a Whisle, the diversitie whereof they are as well 94 acquainted with, as Horse-men with a Trumper, or foot with a Drum. If You be diligent You may meet with se|verall curiosities, some naturall, some of Art, especially from the Levant, and all at reasonable Rates: and for the more commodious doing of this, it will be fit|ting to make acquaintance with severall Merchants, especially English, who will either inform You themselves, where such things are to be found, or else ad|dress You to such Persons in the Town, as may best hap to do it. It is like|ways necessary for You to have such ac|quaintance, and amongst them some one confident for returning You Mo|ney from England, or at least for retur|ning You, what Money You have not present Use for, to Florence, as also for keping correspondence with; that by this means, You may send any thing you please to Your confident at London. And because this advice may be usefull in ma|ny other Places; I shall be more par|ticular in it here for all. I suppose then You were to send any little Ball for Trunk from Ligorne to London; Your 95 way would be first to pass it at the Cu|stom house, where, I think Books, and curiosities pay nothing but yet You must have an Order for Shipping of them, then You must agree with some English Master of a Ship, bound for London, for the portage, and accordingly draw a Bill of Loading---which is of a common Stile bearing, that such a Ball or Coffer marked,---(and sometimes it says, marked as on the Margen, and then the Mark whether it be Letters or Figures or both, which is put upon the Goods, is like|ways placed upon the Margen of the Bill) is imbarked This---Day of---and Year of God---aboard the good Ship called---now in the Port of Ligorn, and bound for London, whereof Mr:---under God is Master, the which Ball is consign|able at London to Mr---Merchant &c. or bis Order, for which he is to Pay--- English Mony, he receiving the said Ball well conditioned, without Skaith or Da|mage, There must be three Copies of this Bill, one You must subscribe, and give to the Master of the Ship, for [...] 96 Warrand to carrie his Fraught. The other two he must subscribe and give to You, whereof You must send one by Post with a particular Letter of advice, to Your correspondent at London, to war|rand him to call for the Goods, at the Master of the Ship; and the other You must keep by You for Your own securi|ty, in case there should be any miscarri|age, either through the Skipper, or Mer|chants fault, and then Your Goods may be imbarked. If You were to send from Florence, then you must in the like man|ner pass your Goods at the Custom|house; if there be any Books among them, You must have a particular Li|cence as I Noted formerly, and then cause unball them at the Custom-house, and set your Mark upon them, and find out some Boat going for Ligorn, (which you will be sure to do,) and take a Note under the Boat-Masters hand of the recept of such Goods so marked, consignable to such a Ma[...]n Merchant in Ligorn, for which he is to pay so much Fraught, he receiving the Goods 90 well conditioned. This Note you must send by the Post to your Merchant in Ligorn, together with Your acquittance at the Custom house of Florence, which will serve to acquit them at Ligorn; to|gether also with particular advice to dis|patch them by the first good occasion for London, and to take Bills of Loading for them, whereof you must desire one Copie to be sent to your self, which you must keep for your Security, as said is; From Rome you must use the same conveyance to Ligorn: But from Venice you must address immediately for Lon|don, and in the same manner as from Ligorn. If you be to send any thing o|ver Land, where you go not along your self, you must make two Letters of Voiture (having first agreed for the car|riage at the Rate of so much per Cent.) whereof you must give one to the car|rier, which is a kind of advice to the Person you address your Goods to, which is in this form: suppose from Turine to Lions, you write thus, Sir I have sent a Bundel marked---by--- 91 Indweller in this Town, and Carrier to Lions, addressed to You, which I desire you would be pleased to receive, and being in good condition, Pay for it at the Rate of---per Cent. and I shall hold you account thereof, or otherways place it to the account of---at Paris, to whom I desire you to ad|dress the Bundell and send it with the first good Occasion, and I shall be Accountable to him. The carrier will part from hence, such a Day being the---Day of---and will arrive at Lions the---Day thereafter, the Bundell contains no Merchant Goods, being only Books, &c. for my own Privat use and therefore not Customable I rest. SIR, Yours &c. THe other Letter of Voiture is an Obligation under the car|riers hand to You, which you must send by the Post to your correspondent at Li|ons. The Form of it ought to be as follows. 92 I Vnder Subscribed Carrier of Tu|rin, acknowledge to have received from---the---Day of---at Turin a Bundell Marked---Weighing---addressed to---Merchant of Lions to whom I promise to deliver it in good condition at Lions, (with the help of God) or to his Order, he pay|ing me at the Rate of---per Cent. therefore. In witness whereof I have subscribed their presents with my hand at Turin the---Day of---Anno--- I Have been the more particular in these things, because altho' they may seem to be triffles, to those that are conver|sant in such matters, yet a small mistake, may be the occasion of a great Miscar|riage. I shall now return to put You in mind of some other particulars, and 1. That in this Place, Oisters are a ve|ry great Delicat, there being but one person that has Priviledge to sell them, for which he payes a considerable Sum 93 to the great Duke; I know not well from whence they are brought, but I am sure it is from a considerable Distance: They are keept in the Town-Ditch, on the East side of the Town, which is full of salt water, because it hath communion with the Sea; the keeper hath a little House hard by, and accor|ding to the number Bargained for, takes them alive & very fat out of the Ditch, & sells them at the Rate of a Pistole the Hundred. They are many times put into the Ditch little, and keept untill they be big enough, they taste very well, and are by far the best in Italy. 2. To the East-ward of the Town, about a Mile or little more, there is an Hill called Monte Nero, upon which there is good harbarizing. You will do well to take a Horse and a Guide with you to the Place. From Ligorn you have 15 Miles of Smooth and Plain way to Pisa. It is an Ancient City, some|times a common-wealth by it self, and then both Rich and populous: But since it was Reduced under the command of 94 the great Duke of Tuscany, it is neither of the two; the far greater part of the Inhabitants, after the Town was Re|duced, chusing rather to abandon their Native Country, than their Liberty, or at least preferring a voluntar Subjection abroad, to a necessitated Slavery at home. The City is large and Beautifull, divided, as it were in two by the River Arno, and again conjoyned by a beautifull Bridge, of white Marble. The Air of this Place, in Winter, is judged to be more Tempe|rate than that at Florence, & therefore the great Duke uses to pass the Winter here. There are many things considerable in this Town; as, 1st. The great Church, which is a Stately Fabrick, and well a|dorned within, as also the Batistaria whereof the Doores, as also of the great Church, are all covered with Massive Brass, cast into delicat Figures. 2ly. The crooked Steeple, which leanes to one side very far from the perpendicular; some people alledge it was purposely so built, but I am more apt to beleeve that the ground hath miss-given on the one side 95 by little and little, or rather insensibly, which may be some part of the Reason, why it hath hung together so long with|out falling, to which the excellencie of the Cement and Workman-ship hath contributed very much; my opinion, to one that narrowly observes, will not appear to be unreasonable, for the out|side is of so many Rows of small Pillars going round about, and the lower-most Row, on that side that it leanes to, is more than half hid in the ground, where as those of the other are wholy to be seen; which I suppose could not have happened otherways, than as I have said. 3ly. The Buriall Place, which is the most stately I ever saw, being a long quadrangle, well walled and galleried about, in the midle whereof are very many Monuments of great antiquity, of many of the ancient noble Families of Pisa. They are most of them of white Marble in shape like a Coffine, wherein the Body of the Dead persons was laid: Some of them are carved in one Fa|shion and some of them in another, and 96 some of them into excellent Figures. 4ly The Dukes Palace. 5ly. The Physical Garden, together with the Rarities that are keept in a Gallery belonging to the Garden, where you will see a very great Collection of Natural Curiosities. The Garden uses to have very rare exotick Plants; but in regard you can have no access to it, except by the recommen|dation of the Physitian, that is Pro|fessor of Botany for the time, therefore I think it will be worth your while to make your address to him, for a Liber|tie, first, to see the Garden and Gallery; secondly, to get from the Gardener or himself, the Seeds, of such as you have a mind to, and a Peece of the Plant for drying, if you think fitting; you must not be negligent here, for this is one of the best Gardens in Italy, & in my opini|on preferable to that of Padua, especi|ally for exotick Plants. The Universi|ty, for the whole Estate of Tuscany, is keep'd here, and if you please you may see the Schooles for all Professions, and particularly that for the Lawes, where 97 the most renowned Bartholus did teach. Amongst the Booksellers you may find something to accommodat you, be|cause it is an University Town, and I shall tell you here, because I do not re|member to have it done as yet, that, generally speaking, all sort of Books in Italy, are cheaper than in any other place where I have been. I pray You re|member to get a Couple of the Cata|logues of the Garden there, of the last Edition. From Pisa, You have but a small half days Journey, of very pleasant Way, to Luca, which is a Delicat little Town, a Republick by it self, and having but a very small Territory belonging to it; it is well and regularly fortified with a dry Ditch, which is keept very cleane and in good Order, and allways Green: the Republick is governed by a Prince or Chief Magistrat, whom they choose of their own Town, and change him e|very two Month: So soon as any one is chosen, he must leave his own House and Friends, and retire himself to the 98 Publick Palace, where he is assisted by some other of the Nobles, & cannot come out untill his Government be finished. The Humour of the people is Chear|full and very Civil, and contrary to the Custome of all Italy, Men and Women converse freely amongst themselves or with Strangers. They use Balls & Dance|ing, much after the French Fashion; The Religious people use to distill Spirits and Essences, whereof you may provide what Quantitie you please, both good, and good cheap, I wish you might help a Friend to some of Orange-Flowers and Myrtles; The religious Women likeways use to make very prettie Things, and particularly I remember they use to sell Stomagers of quilted Silk, which most people use to wear in the Winter-time, of one Fashion or an|other. From Luca, if you please, you may go to Pisloia, and so to Florence, or o|therways returne to Pisa, and from thence, either by Coach or Horse, to Flo|rene. If the Weather be not too hot, it 99 is better to go on Horse-back, in regard of the prospect of the Countrie, which cannot be had in a Coach. Florence is a new Town, but one of the most beau|tifull in all Italy, and therefore called Fioren[...] a la Bella; it is situated upon the River Arno, which divides it in two sev[...]|rall places, over which stands four fair Bridges. The City is Counted at least six miles in Compass; The Beautie of it consistes in the Stateliness of the Buil|dings, the great number of Palaces, the neateness and cleannesse of the Streets, occasioned by the largeness and smooth|nes of the Stones, with which it is paved; the many large Places, Fountains, Statues, Churches, Towers, Convents & Gardens; Of all which it hath very many of the best in Italy. There is scarce any thing in this City; which is not very well wor|thie to be taken notice of· but particu|larly. 1. The Dukes two Palaces, the Old and the New; In the new the great Duke himself keeps his Court. It is a [...]ost magnificent Structure, o[...] the T[...]scan Order of Architecture, but not finished 100 as yet; The Garden belonging thereto is very well furnished, with Rare Plants and Flowers; of which the Catalogue is Printed, of which I desire You to bring alongs a Couple of Copies. It will not be a miss to make Acquaintance with the Gardener; for, so you will get what Seeds you please. The old Palace stands in the great Place of the City, in the midle of which Place there is a Stately Colossus of Brass, of Cosmus great Duke of Florence a Horse back, by the Model whereof that of Henry the great upon the new Bridge of Paris was made. Near to the Entrie into the Palace there are severall other Noble Statues of Mar|ble: within the Palace it self is that so much famed, over the World, Gallerie, which is composed of many Roomes, containing great Varietie of the choisest Curiosities; as Sta[...]ues, Busta's, Base|relieues, Paintings, Drawings, Prints, Cabinets, Jewels, Cameo's, Intaillia's, with all sorts of Anticailles, with an infinite number of Master-peeces of lat|ter times. Amongst other things, there 101 is a Chamber or two full of all sorts of Armes, amongst which those of Charles the Great and Roland, with severall Swords of Henry the great, also a great Number of Cymiters, some whereof have their Scabbards set with Rubies, Eme|ralds, and other precious Stones. There is an ancient Buckler with a Medusa's Head, Painted by Michael Angelo bona rota. I remember to have observed some ancient Casaques, whose weight I am confident no Head could sustain, unless so adjusted to the rest of the Armour, and that to the Sadle, that the Horse must have carried all. You must en|deavour to get a Writen Inventure of the severall Curiosities in the Gallerie, for without that it is not possible to re|member every particular; Within this Palace, the great Duke uses to keep the most excellent Artisans he can meet with, of all Trades, to whom he gives consi|derable Salaries and Priviledges, whom you will do well to see, but especially the Stone-Cutters, of whose Art I intreat you to take particular notice, and what 102 Instruments they use, and learne at least as much of it as may serve to polish Stones. Amongst other Curiosities of this Trade, You may see a New way of Mosaick Work, wherein the figure is compleated most delicatly, both as to the parts and Colours thereof, by the Natural Colours of the severall peeces of Stones assembled together; and which is strange, all the lights and shadows re|quisite in Painting is herein observed; So that they can imitate Nature allmost as fully this way as in Painting it self. This way differs from the old Mosaick, in that the particular Peeces that com|pose it, are of different Figures accord|ing as the colours require; for example, a Cherrie because it is all of one Co|lour, therefore it may be represented by a Red stone of a round Figure in one Peece, but the Stalk of it must be of an other different figure: But in the old way, all the peeces were Quadrangular, whatsoever might be the colour or thing to be represented, and of this kind of Mosaick you will see a most excellent 103 Peece in St. Peters Church at Rome, re|presenting St. Michael the Arch-Angel treading upon the Devil. In this Pa|lace likeways, the great Duke keeps a Chymical Laboratorie, called la Fun|deria, wherein are made very many notable preparations with great Faith|fullness, especially Spirits and Essences, which may be bought here at reaso|nable Rates, and without fear of being cheated, as to the goodnes of the things, 2ly. Severall Churches and Convents, particularly the Dome the out-side whereof is the most beautifull in Europe, being all crusted with Black. White and Red Marble, fit[...]y placed together in regular figures. The Church with|in is Paved with black and white Mar|ble, and Richly adorned with Cha|pels and Altars; The Cupola is very Large and Fine insomuch that the Golden Ball upon the Top of it, which is able to contain a great many Persons, does not appear from the Ground to be bigger than a good Foot-Bal; Near to the Dome stands Jota's Towre, one of the most 104 admirable Peeces of Architecture, in the World; being a square Steeple, without any spite on the Top of it, all crusted with black, white and red Marble, in most regular figures from the top to the bottom; near to it stands the round Chapel of St. John delicately payed with Marble, and adorned with statues, with a Rich Vase adorned with precious Stones, wherein the Children are Bap|tised. The Doors of the Chapel are of Brass, all in Figures of personage in Base-relieve of most admirable Work|manship; in this Chapel is the Sepulchre of Jota, that renown'd Painter and Ar|chitect, upon whom there are some ex|cellent Latin verses there ingraven, which I have lost, but [...]o[...]mend to you to take a Copie thereof. In the Church of St. Spirito; there is an Altar ha[...]cost above a Hundred Thousand Crowns, which were left by a Florentin Gen|tleman for that effect. In the Church de Sancta Cr[...]ce, (I h[...]ve [...]orgot whether i[...] belongs to the [...] or Ja[...]o|bi[...];) Michael Ang[...]o bona rota i[...] in|terred, 105 and it is said at his own desire, that he might lye within the View of Jota's Towre, which he did so much admire in his lifetime; Upon his Tome there are three most delicate Statues, the one represents Painting; the second, Sculp|ture; the third Architecture: in which three Arts, he was so great a Master. St. Laurence Church was magnificently built by Cosmo de Medicis, whose Scpul|chre is to be seen there. There is that famous Chapel, which the Dukes con|tinually Labour to Finish. It is the most Glorious thing extant in the World, there being already bestowed upon the Workman-ship thereof above eight Millions of Gold, and I beleeve a con|siderable deal more will not perfect it. It is not very large, but built round; it is all Mosaik, both the Floore, roofe and sides; and the least considerable Stones that compose it, are Jasper, Porphir, Ala|baster, Lapis Lazuli &c. there are seve|rall nests in the Wall about, where the statues of the Dukes are to stand as they lived and succeeded to the another. The 106 Great Altar is not yet set up, because of peoples being still at work in the Chapel, nor is it yet altogether finished, but yet there is so much done, that to look upon it, one should hardly think there were any thing wanting. It is keept in the Dukes Wardrobe in the Old Palace, of which I forgot to speake formerly, and there|fore tell You now that it is one part of the old Palace which You must not faile to see, there being in it a vast Treasure of Silver and Gold Plate, with many other Precious things. The Altar is keept in a little Room by it self, I shall not under-take to descrive it particularly, but only desire You to consider well every part of it, the Richness of the Materials and excellencie of the Workemanship, the Mosaicks, and the Christall Pillars, and I believe You will easily excuse my holding by the general, and omitting to speak of particulars: I do truely think that the beauties and excellencies of this Chapel and Altar, are so great and so many, that they Deserve a Particular Book to make them known to the world, 107 and it may be there is some such work intended, or alreadie extant, which if it be I am confident You will take care to have it. I must give You notice in this Place, that You will doe well to Treat with some of those men that Work about the Chapel, or else with some of those stone-cutters in the Gallery for some small Peeces of all the species of stones; let them be of such a Bigness as may easily serve to know them by. I make no doubt but You may get them at a Reasonable Rate. But I must earnestly intreat You to mind those two Species of stones which are found in Quarries not farr from Florence, whereof the one Naturally represents Townes and Landscapes, the other is some what Whiter, and has Trees and Forrests Represented on it, by little Black Draughts; I remember to have shown you a small Peice of each sort, but now I would have, two or three larger Peeces of both the sorts, of about a span-Length, and of the best Marked, for I intend to put them in frames, as a Cheif ornament of my 108 Tradescants. I shall hold You compt for the price. 3. The Place where the wild Beasts are keept. It is a long square Peece of ground Walled about, and galleried on the Top for Spectators; under the gal|leries are litle cells that open to the Place, in each of which there is keept a severall Wild Beast, such as Lyons, Tygers, Leo|pards, Woolfs, Beares, &c. These have their keeper that waits upon them, and Feeds them, and when the great Duke commands, they are brought out, one or more, as he Pleases, and bated with Dogs, or otherwise set to fight with one another, Upon such occasions strangers are Permitted to see. 4. The Book-sellers; of which there are prettie store here and those well furnished too. You cannot miss of a Casalpinus de Plantis or two, for it was Printed in this Place. If You can get his appendix ad libros de Plantis, You will oblidge me to bring it with You; it was Printed by it self at Rome. You may possibly meet with other good Books, for it is ordinar when Learned men die· for Book-Sellers to buy 109 their Books. I must likeways put You in mind to buy a Printed Paper for me, that was Published at Florence, called Testis examinatus; it containes two or three figures of the Testicles with a short Description thereof, in one single leaf. There is one Dr. Kirton Dr. of Phy|sick, He is a very civill and obligeing Gentleman; If he be yet alive he will be Your Interpreter: and if You need not that, he will help You to expede the rest of Your affairs; in short, both his coun|sell and his company are to be esteemed; He is an English Man born, low in stature and prettie ancient. You must not faill in this Place to take notice, of the variety of Fruits, & Wines; as the Red Florence Wine, which is counted the best for ordinar Drinking, being stomachical and without Sweetnes. The White Florence Wine, which is Sweet; Verdea, which is delicious small Sweet white Wine; Monte Pulciano, White and Red, both very good Wines, so called from the Place they grow upon, and many more such. 110 If You happen to be here in the Sum|mer time, especially when the Grapes are Ripe, You will find in the Markets great Varietie of Fowles and small Birds, where|of I intreat You to take notice, but espe|cially of those kinds, that are not common with us, and try to get their Skins, which may be easily done, when the bird hath not been long Dead; the rump must be left at it for preserving of the Taile; The Head, Wings and Feet must be like|wise left, and only tbe body taken out, & so the Skin filled with Flax or Cotton. This I intreat You to remember to doe wheresoever You shall happen to be in the Summer time, and if any such occasion Present it self to You in Winter, not to ommit it. From Florence to Rome You have 140. Miles; there are severall wayes of Tra|velling, viz. by Coach, by Procaccio or Messenger with whom you agree for so much; as is usuall in France: and by the Viturin, that is, by hyring of Horse at a certain Rate, & Paying for Your own entertainment at every part as you pass. 111 If you be acquainted with the customes of the Countrey, and have Language enough to make Your self understood, this last way is the best, because you will be sure to fare better, and cost you no more, than you would otherwise Pay to the Messenger, who will be sure to pro|vide the worst chear for you, that he may make the better for himself: in short, it is best to be Master of your own Purse, and not live at the discretion of Your Conductor. I have forgot hitherto to tell you that there is some Incommoditie for Travellers upon the Road, as to their Bedding, their Cloaths espiecially, the Sheets being for the most part very nasty, and it is but now and then that either money or fair words can procure a Pair of clean Sheets. The best remedy I know is not to put off ones Cloaths, and to wrap ones self, especialy the Head, in their Cloak, that the face and Hands may not touch any unclean thing; in short a litle Patience will do it, and you will be sure to be better accomodated in good Towns. 112 The places You are to pass by, are Cheifly these as follows. FLORENCE. S. Casciano 9 Miles Le Tavernelle 8 Miles Pogibonzo 5 Miles Staggia 4 Miles Siena 9 Miles Montarone 5 Miles Lucignano 3 Miles Bonconvento 5 Miles Tornieri 5 Miles S. Quirie 4 Miles La Scala 4 Miles Ricorso 4 Miles La Paglia 5 Miles Ponte Centino 9 Miles Acquapendente 2 Miles S. Lorenzo 3 Miles Bolsena 4 Miles Montefiascone 6 Miles Viterbo 8 Miles Ronciglione 10 Miles Monterosi 8 Miles Roma 20 Miles 113 There are not many considerable things to be seen upon this Road; Siena was a re|publick by itself, but was reduced by the Emperour Charles the 5th. and by his Son Philip Gifted to the Great Duke of Tus|cany, under whose Power it still Remains. The Town is of a good bigness, and com|mended for it's Situation, and the purity of the Italian Tongue. The Dome or great Church is a statly Fabrick; it is Paved with Marble, but especialy the Quire, upon which is most Curiously Graven the Hi|story of Abraham Sacrificeing his Son, and History of the Maccabees, and for the better Preservation of them they are co|vered with Matts. There is likewise an entrie from the Church to the Biblio|theck of Aeneas Sylvius, who was born in this Town. He was once Legat from the Pope into Scotland, and afterwards Cre|ated Pope himself, and took the name of Pius Secundus. He was a Man of great Learning. The late Pope Alexander VII. was Native of this Place, of the Family of Chigi; his Statue is to be seen in the great Church. The greatest Part of the 114 and the Towre belonging to it are of Black and White Marble without. In the Church of St. Dominic, amongst other Relicts, is preserved the Head of St. Catharine of Siena. The Tovvne is well watered with many fine Fountains. The great place is made with a kind of Descent Theatre ways, so that from the middle of the Place You may see all that walk in it. Montefiascone is famous for a most Delicious Kind of Muscatello Wine, which You must be sure to Tast. The Messenger uses to Dine without the Town, but you will be sure to fare better and get better Wine with|in; There goes a storie that a German killed himself in this Place with Drinking excessivly of this Muscat. As you goe from thence to Viterbo you will find a kind of Aspalathus, which I take to be Acacia altera Angularae. It growes as high as our Broom, and is plentifull enough, so that you will easily discover it. From Viterbo, all that distance to Rome is called the Campania of Rome, in which it is thought most dangerous to sleep in 122 the Summer time, therefore if you fortune to travel it in Summer, whither to Rome or from it (the same is under stood of 40. Miles distance round about Rome) you must be sure not to sleep in the Cam|pania, which you may easily avoid by Travelling in the night. when you arrive at Rome you must give up your name at the Port; your Countrey, the Place from which [...]ou came last, and the house you goe to Lodge at: and from thence you must go a la dogano, or to the Custom House, where your Cloakbag must be Searched, and from thence to your lodg|[...]ng place, according to the Billet given [...]ou at the Port, without which no House [...]eeper dare receave a stranger; But they [...]re things of Course and effectuat with|out any trouble. You will doe well to Lodge in a Pension for the first week, un|till you have made some acquaintance, by means whereof you may be fullie infor|med where to light upon a convenient Camera locanda: There was two French Pensions, and one English in my time. The first of the French was Al monte d'oro. The second was nella strada del Populo 123 The English pension was in the same stra|da del Populo, alla villa di Londra: we had severall Countrey men living in the Town in my time, as particularly signior Roberto Pendrick, a worthie old Gentle|man, and most obligeing to his Count|rey men, he was my particular good friend; and I make no doubt but you will find him so, for I hear he is still alive, and I wish he may be long so. He lives in a House of his own upon the Triuita di monte. There is an other called Signior don Gulielmo Lesly, He is Chaplain to Car|dinal Carlo Barberino and lives nella Can|cellaria. I dare be confident to give you this man for one of the most faithfull Friends in the World, and one in whose goodness, prudence, Kindness, and good Conduct you may trust ten Thousand Lives: to be short you will find I am not mistaken, when I call him deliciae huma|ni generis, for in all my lifetime I never knew another like him, make it their whole work and study to find opportu|nities to oblige every Countrey-man ac|cording to his condition: The p[...]r of 124 them, with Food and Rayment and what|soever else they may stand in need of, and all other men with continual offices of ci|vility. By his means you will get to see many of these things I shall recommend to you hereafter. If I Know of your going to Italy in time, I shall have a Letter there before you. Your best convenience for Lodging and Diet will be a Camera Lo|canda. You may take it in that place of the town that suits best with your occasi|ons, you will pay for it by the month, less or more according to the goodness of the Chamber and furniture thereof. As for your diet it will be drest in the House, and you must tell at night what you In|tend to eat next day, that they may pro|vide it for you: As for the prices you can|not be easily Cheated, because as to that, most things are Regulated, And in the quantitie it is not possible you should be overreached because all things are sold by weight. There are severall Kinds of Bread used in this City, but that which is called Papaline is undoubtedly the best. There are likewise many sorts of Wines, 125 some of them Galliardi or strong, as Greco, Muscatello di Saragosa, Lagrima &c. others are Legieri, or small, and they are many; the best for common use is Albano, which You may drink pure: and it is re|markable that there are but few places in Italy where Water may be Drunk safe|ly, and because one may be mistaken in the choise, the best remedy is to Drink none at all. There are great variety of fruits according to the Seasons of the year, I shal only desire you to be cautious, and not to eat too much or too often of any, but especialy, of Melons, Cucumbers, and the Malanzane, or mala insana, which are a Kind of Solanum Pomiferum. There are good store and Many Kinds of Fishes, especialy Sea Fish, whereof the best are, Sols, il Pisce Capone &c. The Tunino is a great Fish as big as our Salmond, and Red like it, but harder and dryer a great deale, the bellie of it is verie fatt and they use to Salt and sell it in the Taverns, be|ing sliced in small peeces upon a Trencher; Fresh Sturgeon is very common; Lobsters are much harder and worse to disgest 126 than ours: as for fleshes, Bufalo is only eaten by the Poorer sort of people; Beif which they call Vacina is good; Vitella campo reccia, or Hudron is good, but above all the Vitella mongana or sucking Veal. Lamb is worth nothing, nor Mutton either, which they call Castrato, and serves only to make Broath for Sick Peo|ple; Kids are good. In the Winter-time there is is abundance of Sangliers or wild Boars, as also Porcepics. The Snow in that season, driving them from the Hills to the Valleys, where they are Killed by the Hunters. There is likeways great Varie|ty of Fowl. There is none so common as Quailes, at two seasons of the year, that is, the Spring when they come into Italy, and the latter end of Autumn, at which time they are much fatter and better when they go from it. It is said that they draw together to the Coast side, and there wait for the rest of their number a whole Moneth, and then at last, their Caravan being complete, they flee away nearer the Sunn in a great cloud. The Pigione Sotto hanca are the biggest and 127 fattest, and best for eating in the world: they are good in all seasons of the year. About the time of Vintage there are great Variety of small Birds, all very fatt & good, and at easie Rates, amongst which the Ortolani, and Beccafiche are most esteemed. As for the things to be seen here, they are so many, and so considerable, that it would require a large Volume to de|scribe them, and there are abundance of such Books extant, to which I referr you, and especially to one in 80. called L' Antichita di Roma di Andrea Fulvio: but you must not fail to get an Anti|quario, who for a certain Summ of two or three Crowns will show you all the particular Antiquities and considerable places of the Town, and as for the fuller information of them your Book will serve you: I shall only hint at some|things worthie to be taken notice of; 1. The Court; that is, the Pope, Cardinals, Prelates, Monsigniorie &c. There are some great Holy days, when the Pope Celebrats Mass in person; it will be sit to 128 wait upon some of these occasions, for then you will see the Grandeur of the Court and the forme of a Cavalcata, together with the Popes ordinary Guards. 2. The Churches. 3. The Palaces; espe|cially those of the Vatican, together with the Bibliotheck and Gardens of Belvidere, in which amongst other things take par|ticular notice of the statue of Ly[...]aon with the Serpents wreathed about him; There is an other Garden also belonging to the Vatican, in which there are many exo|tick Plants, it was planted by the Popes or|der, by Tobias Aldinus and is Keept still in reasonable good order; amongst other things you will find the Cameripses, or Camedactylus, of the bigness of a Low Tree and carrying Fruit; there is like|wise a Grotta or water work, and very fine Fountains of water, about which grows plentifully the Capillus veneris Major or Ramosus. and Arum Aegypti|um Mathioli, sive Colocasia, which is a plant carying no stalk, flowr nor fruit in Italy (I know not what it does in its native Soyle) but only broad Leaves very large and round. 129 The Palace of Farnese; and in it that Gallery whereof the Painting in Fresco by Aniball Caraccio is so famous, and the Tauro which is kept in a little House a part, in the back court of the Palace. It is the noblest piece of Art extant in Rome altho it be very antient, as being one of those named by Pliny, to have been in his time in Foro Trajani; yet it is not only intire, but as beautifull as if it had never been moved out of the place it stands in now. The Palace of Principe Pamphilio; it stands in the Piazza Navona, where you may take notice of that Glorious Fountain made by Cavelier Bernini, whereupon the top of a little artificial Rock, are placed, four great delicate Marble Statues, representing the foure great Rivers of the World, and each of them pouring out of a Vale placed under one Arme, a great quantitie of Water, and in the middle of the four there stands one of these Gulias graven with Aegypti|an Hieroglyphicks, brought from A[...]gypt by the Antient Romans. They use to 130 stop the way-goe of the Water, some|times in the Summer, and lett the Place overflow with Water, and then Peo|ple come toward the evening, in their Coaches, and drive softly up and down the water to take the fresco, which is one of the greatest Gusto's in Rome. Palazzo Borghese, Standing near to the Ripetta. Palazza Palistrino; and in it the library, where you may see two copies of the Hortus Eystetensis, one illuminated and the other not; Mr. Lesty will command you a sight of that when you please, for it belongs to Car|dinall Francisco Barberino. The Popes Palace of Monte Cavallo, and the Gardens thereof. 4. The Villa's: as first that of Borghese, which is with|out the walls: there is a particular Book to be sold by the House keeper, that sufficiently descrives it and all the beau|ties of it, to which I Refer you. 2ly. the villa or Palazzo medici, belonging to the great Duke of Tuscany. It stands upon the monte Trinita, the Hall is ador|ned with a great many Pillars stand|ing 131 about the Walls, of most delicat Marbles, and the Originalls of a great many Illustres and virtuosi. In one of the Chambers there is a most beautifull statue of Venus, of Grecian Antiquitie. In the Garden there is a Noble statue of Cleopatra, the Ruins whereof were repar|ed by Michaell Angelo bona rota, and many other statues Base Releiv's and Vases, which for Brevities sake I must omit, and refer you to the particular Books that treat of those things, But most of all to your own diligence in viewing them and keeping a punctuall Register of all that you see, and so I shall only name some of the Villa's that remain, and are most considerable. As the Villa Montalto; The Villa Ludo|visi, where amongst other Admirable things the statue of the dying Gladi|ator is excellent. The Villa Farnesi; The Villa Pamphilio, which is a pretie way without the walls, and the rest which I leave to your sight. 5ly. The Castle of St. Angelo, which formerly was the Burial Place of Hadrian 132 the Emperor. 6. The Hospitalls; Parti|cularly that of St. Spirito, which is a most magnificent Structure, and well ap|pointed in all things. They will show you amongst other remarkable things, the Place where the Children of such a Big|ness are permitted to be put in, without any further inquirie made after them, or who brought them. By this means the Life of many a Child hath ben saved, which otherways would have been taken away to prevent the dis|grace of the Parents. They are no soo|ner put in, but Nurses are got for them: If they be Boyes, when they come to a convenient Age they are put to Trades, according ro their several Inclinations and Capacities. But if they be Girles, then when they come to the Years of discretion, if they incline not to a Religi|ous Life, every one of them is provided with so much Portion to Marry her with, out of the common revenue of the House; And then upon a certain Day appointed for that purpose; all Zitelle or maids come in Procession, one after ano|ther, 133 with their Faces Vail'd, and the Men that come there upon such Days, of pur|pose to choose a Wife, (for all of them have a like Portions) pitch upon such as please them best, and present them a Nose|gay, after which, she is sequestred from the rest, & the Marriage Solemniz'd, after the Man has given Information of him|self and sufficient Caution that he shall provide a Lively-hood for her. There is a very fine little Garden that belongs to the Hospital lying just upon the Tyber. It uses to be well furnished with Plants, and I have seen the Dictamnus Creticus in flowre there. 7ly. The Convents; as particularly the French Minims upon the Monte Trinita. In the upper Gallerie of their Cloyster there is a Dyall, where the Sun beams, entering by a small round hole, Point the Hours. It was made by Marsennus that famous Mathematician, a Father of their Countrie and Order. They have likeways, in a particular part of their Garden some rare Plants, as Ma|lus punica flore amplissimo pleno & Varie|gato. 134 The Minerva; which was anciently the Temple of Minerva, and now is the Chief Convent of the Domini[...]ans in Rome. In my time there was a French Father there called Padre Barilieri Secretarie to the General for his Nation; He was a great Virtuoso, and exceedingly well versed in the whole Historie of Nature; He had a very Curious Collection of ma|ny Naturall Things, and was about to have Published a Large Book in Folio, wherein he had designed a Natural Histo|ry, with a great many cutts, which he showed me. If the Book be Published, I should be very glad to see it; if he be alive, it will be worth your while to pro|cure his acquaintance. He hath also a Garden well stored with Plants at St. Xisto. The Roman Colledge; where there is a famous shop and Laboratorie for Phar|macie, as also a Garden. 8ly. The Capitol; the middle of the Place before it, is the Statue of the Em|perour Marcus Aurelius, a Horse-back in Brass; It was brought thither from the 135 Place before St. John de Lateran, and is thought one of the best Modells in the World. At the Top of the Staires, as you enter into the place are two Horses, one on every side held by a Slave in Marble. They were brought thither from the Ruines of Pompey's Theatre. There is also in the same Place two Trophies of Marius; there is also Columna milliaris, with a Brass-ball on the Top of it; there used to be such a one at every miles end, upon the common Roads; & from thence came their Fashion of counting the miles per Lapides, as primo ab urbe Lapide was a mile from the Town &c. The Ca|pitol, as it now is, consists of three Pala|ces all of Excellent Architecture, and beautified, both within and without with Painting, Statues, and other Mo|numents of antiquitie; the particular Relation whereof I referr to the Books that are written thereof, and particu|larly to one called Roma antica & Mo|derna, & to the particular demonstration of the Antiquario, for I find it will be utterly impossible to discourse of every 136 particular, unless I should resolve to compile a Volumn. The rest of the Monuments, and rests or rather ruins of Antiquitie, I shall pass over, and only name a few of them; as for example, first, the Walls of the City, which were built by Bellisarius Captain of the Guards to Justinian the Emperour. The breaches have been repaired by seve|rall Popes. The Ports for the most part are the same they were anciently, only the Porta del populo was made a great deal more stately, at the first Entrie of Chri|s[...]ina Queen of Sweden into Rome. There is a long courten of the Wall be|twixt Porta del populo and Villa Borghese, under which it seems the Ground has misgiven, so that the Wall bendeth, & is therefore called Muro torto. Near to this place also, is the Burial Place delle Cortegiane, there being no Christian Burial or Holy Ground allowed to such persones. There is good Herbarizing about the walls, especially on the out-side, and particularly you will find a Plant there which is not common else where, at 137 least that I have observed, viz. Sature[...]a Spicata sive Thymbra S. Juliani[...] [...] Sa|tureia vera Lobelii. Upon the Wall of the City, close by the Port of St. Paul[...] in via ostiensi; there is yet extant a Py|ramid built of Marble, which was the Burial Place of C. Ces[...]ius Septemvir E|pulonum. Secondly. The old Temples; whereof there are so many that it would be tedious to describe them all, I shall only name some, viz. The Pantheon now cal|led Madonna della rotunda; It was built by Marcus Agrippa, Son-in law to Au|gustus Caesar, in Honour of all the Gods. It had the Fortune to escape almost totaly, the ruine, and fury, which the Goths & Vandals brought upon the Roman Em|pire and magnificence thereof. I admire the Roofe of it, being so large and so flat without any Pillar, to support it, and al|tho' it be a Vault, it hath no nevil|stone to bind it in the middle, but in place thereof a round hole so wide that it lights the whole Roome abundantly, nor is there any other Window in the Fa|brick. The next thing I admire in it is 138 [...]he Doore-Cheeks and couple which is all of one Peece of white Marble. The Door opens in two leaves, very wide & very high, they were covered with Corin|thian Brass, as was also the whole Roofe, until the time of Vrban VIII. who took it off, and covered it with Lead as it now is, and made thereof the great Altar of St. Peters, and some pee|ces of Ordinance, that are keept in the Castel St. Angelo, as will testifie a par|ticular inscription at the side of the pan|theon Doore, made by the Popes com|mand. Upon this occasion was that Pasquinad; Quod non fecerunt Barbari, fecere Barberini. It has a most stately Portico before the Gate, of a great many large tall Pillars of Egyptian black and white speckled Marble; the descent into the Portico from the Street is of ten or twelve steps, but it is said, before the ru|ine of the City, that there was as great an ascent to it; whence it may be gathered, what an universal & great devastation of buildings must there have been to fill up so great a deepth. And indeed it is obser|ved, 139 that when they have any occasion to dig, it is long before they come, in most places, to the terra Virgine, that is, which hath not formerly been broke u|pon: and when they are digging into old ruins, for Anticails (as they are conti|nually doing in severall places) they leave off when they come to the Terra Virgine. Before the Portico there is a large coffine, with it's cover and suppor|ters of Porphyre which they commonly call Agrippa's Tombe. Near to the entrie of the Camp of Va|cino, at the bottom of the back stairs that lead to the Capitol, there is a Chapel under ground, which was formerly the Prison of St. Peter and St. Paul, when they suffered for the Holy name of JESVS. It was then called Tullianum, according to that of Cicero; est locus in carcere quod Tullianum appellatur. The Temple of Sa|turn is hard by, which in ancient times was the Aerarium publicum, in which the Publick Treasury was keept. Thirdly, the Amphitheatres; most part of which are Ruined, especially that 140 which was built by Titus, now [...]alled the Coliseo; by the part thereof that is stand|ing you may abundantly Judge of the Magnificence of the whole, when it was extant. There is good Herborizing within it, and there is one Dominicus Pa[...]arolus that hath Writen Catalogus Plantarum Amphitheatralium; with the rest of his works in [...]0. Romae, apud [...]ranciscum Monetam 1652. to which I refer You. Fourthly, the Aqueducts; of which the most part are ancient: when they come near to the City, they are convey'd under ground to several Fountains in the City, and some of them so deep, that it is Prodigious by what art they could have Peirc't so deep, as for example, the Aqua Virgine, which is the sweetest and best for use in all Rome, is conducted so deep thro' the Monte Trinita, That in the French Minims Garden there is a descent of six or seven score steps to come at it. Amongst all the Fountains in Rome the most beautifull are in the Pi|azza Navona, in the Piazza St. Pietro, the Tre Fountane, &c, 141 5ly The Thermae, or Baths; as the Thermae Diocletianae built by the Empe|rour Diocletian. It is said that ten thou|sand Christians were imployed about this work, and all cruely Massacred when they had finished it. It is now a Mona|stery of Carthusians, in whose common Garden I remember to have seen the Myrtus Buxifoliis. The ruins of Thermae Antonini Caracallae; they are situated ad Radicem Collis Aventinae. I have seen amongst these Ruins that kynd of Ca|pillary, which is called Hemionitis, and no where else that I Remember of. Sixthly the two Columns of Antoninus, and Tra[...]an Emperours; The Statue of St. Peter stands upon the Top of one, and that of St. Paul upon the other: Trajan was so well beloved of the Peo|ple that to make a place, which in ho|nour of him they called forum Trajani, in the midle of which this Column stands, they levelled a great Hill, of the precise hight of the Column it self. Both the Columns are of white Marble, and all the out side Historified in base relieue, 142 in a spirall line beginning at the bottom and ending at the top. That of Trajan hath the whole storie of the Dacian War. There is a great Book in Folio of this Co|lumn, wherein all the figures are cutt in Brass, and the Large description thereof added. I have forgot the Authors name, but I believe You will find the Book Al insegna di Parigi alla pace from Jacomo Rossi. where you will likewise find all other sorts of Prints and T[...]lledouces. The Columne of Antoni[...]us· is 160 foot High and that of Trajan 128. Altho' they apear to be but smal yet each of them hath a Stair-Case within, that leads to the Top. There are some others but less Considerable, as that which stands before St. Maria Majore, which was one of the Pillars of the Templum Pacis, brought hither by Paulus V. who placed a Bra|sen Statue of the Blessed Virgine upon the Top thereof. There is likewise not far from the same place a little Column with a Crucifix on the Top of it, erected in memorie of the absolution given to Henry the IV. King of France; In the 143 Capitoll likewise there are two viz. the Columna milliaris, of which already, and the Columna Rostrata, which you will see when you view the fine things within that part of the Capitoll whi[...]h stands next to the River, where the Hill is most steep and was anciently called Tarpeia Rupes. Seventhly, the Triumphall Arches; as particularly that of Septimius Severus; That of Titus; and that of Constantine &c. Eighthly, the Bridges upon the River. Ninthly, the Obelisks; most part where|of are graven with Aegyptian Hierogly|phicks. The best of them is erected in the middle of the place before St. Peters, upon the back of four Brazen Lyons, and a large Pedestal of Marble. The next best is at the Porta dell Populo. Tenthly, the Septem Colles or Montes; upon which Rome is said to be built viz. Mons Capitolinus, Mons Palatinus, Mons Aventinus, Mons Celius, Mons Esquili|ne[...]s. (where the House of Virgil was and the Garden of Mecoenas,) Mons Vi|minalis 144 and Mons Quirinalis, called now Monte Cavallo where the Popes Palace is. Eleventhly, some other Hills: as the Ja|nicular, which is a Chain of Hills with|out the Walls in the Trans[...]evere. And the Mons Testaceus, which is nothing but a heap of broken earthen Pots and bricks; for in ancient times these were so much in use; and the Figuli or Tradesmen that made them, so numerous, that there was a necessity of appointing them a particular place, and that by publick edict, for throwing the Ru[...]bish of their Furnaces and the pot sheards that broke in the Baking into, least otherwise if it had been permitted to throw them into the River, it might have occasioned an [...]n|undation of the City. In process of time it grew to the bignes of the third part of a Mile in Compass, and a Hundred & Sixtie foot in hight. This Hill is within the Walls not far from the side of the River, as also Mons Vaticanus in Trans|[...]evere, so called a Vaticiniis which used to be made there: The Palace of the Va|tican stands upon it. 145 Twelthly, Roma subterranea; com|monly called the Catacombs, whereof Bosio hath writen a large Volumn in Folio. There are two of them, both without the Walls. One of them is at St. Sebastion's Church. They are Caverns digg'd under ground in the forme of a Town, that is, larger and lesser streets crossing one another, in some place lower so that You must be forced to stoop, but in others higher than a Mans hight, and all along as you go upon the one Hand and the other, as thick as they can stand one by another, are holes or nests where|in were placed the bodies of the Dead, one by one, upright upon their feet, and so the nests Plastered over. The Bodies and reliques of many Saints and Martyrs have been found here, and were known to be such by the Cross found upon their Sepulchers, with this Inscription Pro CHRISTO. You must take good lights and a good guide to conduct You, for some have mistaken their Way and never found an outgate. The Second, I need not describe it. 146 There are severall things about Rome worthie the taking notice of, as 1. Ponte mola a Bridge standing upon the Teve|re; in Latine Anio, some two miles from the Town, before it joynes with the Ty|ber. You go to it by the Port del Populo. It is considerable for it's Antiquity. It was at this Bridge that Constantine the great vanquished Maxentius the Tyrant: There having appeared to him before the Battle, in the Firmament, a red Cross with these words in hoc Signo vinces. the story is Painted in fresco in the Palace of the vatican by a great Master, where You may see it and You will seldome miss Painters in the Roome a Copying of it. 2. The City of Tivali, in Latin Tibur; by the way You will pass a little River, The Sulphureous and noysome smell whereof You will perceive at a Miles distance; it is of a whitish Colour as if Meall were mingled with it; there is a white slymie Sulphureous substance adhering to the sydes and bottom of it, which is soft whilest it is under Water, but being once dryed becomes very hard, 147 they use to make counterfeit comfits, & which they call comfits of Tivoli and use to Cheat People with them for sports sake. The River runs into the Tiverone and spoils the Water thereof, and in my Opinion, does much harme the Water of the Tyber it self, because the Tiverone joyns with it before it come at the City of Rome. The Town is verie ancient, having several marks of great Antiqui|ty, as Sybilla's Temple, &c. close by the Town the River Teveron[...] falling from a great hight over a Rock makes that famous Cascata so much talked of. It makes a horrid noise and continues fro|thy and working for a good way below the fall, and hath made a Million of meanders and strange figures in the Rock where it falls. A little below the fall there is a Bridge over it of a considerable hight above the Water, where if You stand a while you will perceive a dew able to wet you, which arises from the fall of the Water after the River is fallen. Several parts of it are conveyed by aqueducts in|to the Town for severall uses; as namely 148 one part for the Brass works, where You may observe, that the Waeer blowes the fire, not by moving the Bellowes (which is common) but by affording the Wind; an other part of it is carried to the Villa d' Este where there is a curious Palace and most curious Gardens with all sorts of Ingenious Water Works and other ornaments, as statues &c, belonging to Gardens. Amongst other things there are several Artificial Birds, that sing their natural Notes by the help of the Water. There is an Organ that plays sweetly, mo|ved only by the Water, which also fur|nisheth it Wind. The Girandola is con|siderable, where the water rises in a gross Body very High, and the ayr being Ar|tificially mixed therewith, makes a noice that exactly imitats Thunder. Tivoli is some eighteen or twentie Miles distant from Rome You may easily go from Rome and see all things considerable there, & returne the same day to Rome, unless You please rather to goe to Frescati, which is a most delicious litle Toun about twelve Miles distant from Rome, stand|ing upon the side of a Hill, from whence 149 in clear weather You may easily disco|ver Rome. The Place is beautifi'd with many delicat Villa's about it, amongst which the most considerable are, first, the Belvidere belonging now to the Principe Pamphilio, the water works whereof are esteemed the best in Italy: There is a Cen|taur that Winds a Horne by the help of the Water, with that Loudness, that it can be heard at six or seven Miles dist|ance. There is a low Room which they call the Apollo, at the end of which Apollo sits upon the Top of an artificial Parnassus. with the nine Muses about him, he with his Harp, and they with their severall Instruments of Musick, which play by the help of the Water, which is convoy|ed under ground and is not seen with|in the Room. About the middle of the Room there is a little hole, out of which the Wind (occasioned by the motion of the Water underneath) comeing furth, hath so much strength as to support a wooden Ball, of the bigness of a Tennes ball, at half a ell's distance and more from the floor, without ever letting it fall 150 to the ground. 2ly. At half a miles di|stance from Frescati are the Ruins of Ci|cero's Tusculanum, and Lucullo's country House; as also a curious villa called monte Dragone, where the House is well adorn|ed with Paintings, &c. and the Gardens with water works. 3ly If You desire not to Returne to Rome first, You may goe directly from hence to Castello gondolfo, which is about [...]ive miles distant from Frescati, and fourteen from Rome. It is a most delici|ous Countrey House of the Popes, To which he uses to retire some Moneths in the Summer, for the good Air's sake, it hes the Prospect of a most delicat lake, encompased with Hills, that are all sha|dowed with Trees, where amongst other pleasures you will not want that of Herbarizing. Being returned to Rome you may make another little Journey with your con|venience to Ostia, which is some twelve miles distant from Rome doun the River Tyber, it was of old the great Harbour for all the Ships and Gallies that belonged 151 City and Empyre, cutt out as it seems by Art, but now thro' long neglect fill|ed up and useless. Having seen all and dyned, you may returne before night to Rome; it will be fit you be at the pains to make another Journey to Caprarolla, one of the noblest Palaces in Italy, built by the famous Architect Vignoli, by order of Cardinal Alexander Farnese. It be|longes to the Duke of Parma. It is distant from Rome Miles It is in figure, pentagone, having five very High and equal faces, with a Court perfectly round in the middle, as likewise are the Galleries and Corredor's about it. Mor|over there is almost as much lodging below ground as above. The Hangings, Statues, Pictures, as also the Gardens, Fountains, and other embellishments, doe well sute the magnificence of the Palace. Having seen Rome and the Places a|bout it. It will be fit to make the Voyage of Naples. The Months of April and O|ctober are most convenient for this Jour|ney, the heat being too great in Summer, 152 and the Snow and Raine troublesome in Winter. From Rome to Naples. Miles. Marin[...], 12 Velitre, 08. Sezza 15 Biperno, 04 Terrazina, 10. Portella, 03. Fondi, 05. Itri, 05. Mola. 04. Tragetto, 10. Pass the River Garrigliano. Sessa, 07. Carionole, 04. Capua, 12. Auersa, 07. Naples 08. 114. 153 As You go out at the Port St. Gioua[...]|ni, all along the Campania on every side of the High-way, You will meet with many Ruins of Ancient Burial-Places for several Miles from the City. Velitre; is an Ancient City of the Volsci, much famed also for the Parents of Octavius Augustus, who were Originaly of this Place. Upon the Way from Veletri to Sezza, upon the Hill-side un|der Sarninetta, there are some Ancient Ruins supposed to be the Tres Taberna[...], of which St. Luke speaks in the 28. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Sezza, formerly Setia; was much com|mended for its Wine, whence that of Juvenal. ---Tunc illa time cum pocula sume· Gemmata & lato Setinum ardebit in auro. Piperno; in Latin Privernum; and the Inhabitants Privernati; near to this 154 Place, Iris Florentina, grows abundantly. Terracina; was Anciently called Aux|ur, in the Language of the Volsci, of whom this was the Metropolis. Strabo sayeth that it was called Trachina, quasi Aspera from the Rockiness of the Hill u|pon which it is Placed; altho' the Town be Ancient, it is not very considerable, it is the last Place of the Ecclesiastick E|state towards Naples; Passengers use to Dine here at a pittiful Inn without the Town, where there is no manner of Furniture, but VVood to make Fire: it not being secure for any Body to live in it, because of the Turks that often Land here, and take what they can meet with. VVhen the People that keep the House see any Strangers Arrive, instantly they make Fire and bring Provision from the Town. The Sea comes very near to the Foot of the Hill where the Town stands, and on that side which is towards Na|ples, the Rock is precipitious, and betwixt it and the Sea, leaves but a very nar|row and strait Passage, which one Man 155 may Guarde against a Hundred. Fondi is the first Town you meet with in the Kingdom of Naples; here you must give notice to the Officers appointed for that purpose of your intended Journey for Naples, and cause registrat your Name, together with the marks of your Horse, that he may be the better known when you return, to be the same that you brought along with you from Rome, or otherways you will not miss to be chal|lenged upon your return, and stopt, untill you can produce a Certificat that he is the very same you brought into the Kingdom with you. There being a Ge|neral Prohibition, the observance where|of is Strictly lookt to, against carrieing Horses or Mares out of the Kingdom, into any foreign part, least the breede of them, which is esteemed amongst the best in Europe, should become com|mon to other Nations. Notwithstand|ing of this severity, sometimes with cre|dit, and sometimes with a little Money, a Man may obtain permission for the 156 Transporting of one or more, either Horses or Mares. Mola, is one of the most pleasant places in rhe World; being close upon the Sea side, and but a little way from Gaieta, to which you may go either by Sea or Land. It is likeways hard by the ruins of the Ancient City Formiae, where Cicero had his Villa Formiana. The place abounds with many plants, and great Varietie of the choisest Fruits; especially the Agrumi, such as Citrons, Oranges, Limons &c, of all sorts. If ye please to go to Gaieta, it is worth the while: It stands at the extremity of of a Promontory or Tongue of Land that runs out into the Sea, from the main-Land about three miles, and by that means becomes peninsule, and for|meth on the side towards Rome, betwixt it and Terracina, that Sinus Gaitanus, a|bout twelve miles in length. The Town is pleasantly Situated and strongly. There is a great Rock hard by, which is rent from Top to Bottom, which they say, happened when the Saviour of the 157 World Suffered upon the Cross. There is excellent Herbarizing all the way be|twixt it and Mola. Trajetto is a Castle near the place where the Ancient City of Minturnae stood, where there is yet to be seen an Amphitheatre almost intire, and the re|mains of a great Aqueduct: It was a|mongst the Marishes near to Mintur|nae, that C. Marius did hide himself, when he fled from his Enemies; whence that of Juvenal, Exilium & carcer Minturnarum{que} Paludes, Et Mendicatus victa Carthagine Panis. You must pass at this place the Ri|ver Garigliano, called Li[...]is Anciently. Capua, is a new City standing upon the side of the River Vulturnus, and some two miles from it, the Ruins of the Old famous Capua which in the Old Ro|mans Time, was esteemed one of the most delicious Places in the VVorld. There are yet Vestiges of the Gates of the City, of a Theatre, of a great many sumptuous Temples, Cisternes un|der gronnd, and a great many other 158 things; that evidently show it to have been a magnificent City. The Coun|try from Vulturnus to Naples, is called the Campania Felice, and is indeed the fertilest soyle and bautifullest Coun|try that my Eyes ever beheld. Aversa is a new City, extructed out of the Ruins of Atella, It is distant 8 Miles from Naples, and famed for a kind of Wine called Asprin[...]. That way which leades from Rome to Naples, was Anciently called Via Appia, from Appius Claudius the Censor, who caused Pave this way from Rome, just to Capua. It begins at the Port now called St. Sebastian, but Anciently Porta Capena, from the Capenati a peo|ple of Latium, to which that way did lead. The Via Appia is of that breadth that one Chariot may easily pass another. The Emperour Trajan did renew it, and continue the Pavement even to Brin|dici, drying the marishes, plaining the Hills, and filling up the Valleyes. By this way Anciently did pass the grea|test part of the Triumphs; whence it 159 was called Regina viarum: whence that of Papinius; Appia cunctarum fertur Regina viarum. Altho' this way be Ruined in many places, yet it is wonderfull to see, in how great perfection a great deal of it con|tinues. Without doubt it has been a matter of vast Expense to make a way of that Length, and Breadth so well paved, with Quadrangular Stones, that even to this Day (altho' it be of common & frequent Passage) continueth as intire as if it were newly done. Upon both sides of this way, as far as Capua, there are a great many Ancient Sepulchres; many whereof are altogether ruined, and some almost intire, as yet; in one of these Sepulchres, in the Reign of Alex|ander VI. (as Volateranus tells) the Body of a Delicat young VVoman, was found altogether intire in a Marble Chist. She was of incomparable beautie hav|ing her long Flaxen Hair drawn toge|ther upon her Head with a Circle of Gold. The Body did almost swim in a mervellous kind of Liquor and had a 160 burning Lamp at the Feet thereof, which the Air, coming in at the opening of the Sepulchre, did instantly extin|guish. The Body (as did appear by the Letters graven upon the place) had lyen there thirteen Hundred Years. Some have been of Opinion that it was the Body of Tulliola, the dearly Beloved Daughter of Cicero. It was presented in its integrity to the Conservators of Rome, and for some Days keept in the Capitol as a singular curiosity; but Pope Alex|der coming to understand it, caused it to be thrown into the Tyber. I must not omit to tell you, that there is some incommoditie in this Journey both as to Dyeting and Lodging; and sometimes there is perill from the Ban|diti; But he that will gather Roses, must not be affraid to prick his Fingers: Be|sides, that danger is but sometimes, and you may probably find the way clear, especially, if the Vice-Roy be a stirring Active Man, as it often happens: For then the Banditi will hardly dare to 161 come so far down from the Hills· as the Via appia, or High-way to Naples. Naples was Anciently called Parthe|nope, from one of the Sirens, Buried in this place, (who as the Fables say) Drowned her self for Grief, that She could not Charm Vlysses and his Com|panions. Hence Silius lib: 12. Sirenum dedit una tuum memorab[...] nomen. Parthenope muris Acheloias, aequore cujus Regnavere d[...]l cantus, cum dulce per undas, Exitium miseris caneret non Prospera nautis. It was built Closs upon the Sea, at the foot of most pleasant Hills; First built by the Cumani or Inhabitants of Cuma; who being taken with the sweetness of the Air & Pleasantness of the Place; did daily increase in number; insomuch that the Cumani that lived at Cuma, took a Resolution utterly to Ruin Parthen[...]pe 162 [...]east their own City should become deso|[...]at. But it being Ruined, there came so great a Pestilence upon Cuma, as car|ried away Multitudes, and having con|sulted the Oracle about the cause of this Mortality; it was answered that this fate had come upon them for the Ruine of Par|thenope; and that if they ever hop'd to be free from this disease, they should first re|store it, whence with all diligence they went about the Restauration thereof, and called it Neapolis, that is to say the new City. The sweetness of the Air, & delicacy of the Country about is so great, that many Emperours and Roman Senators being wearied with the Wars, and weightiness of Government, did repair to this place, that they might live plea|santly & Peaceably, & give themselves to the Study of Letters; amongst which were Virgil, T. Livius, Horatius, Claudianus [...] & a great many more: At this very pre|sent it is no less frequented by the Nobi|lity and Gentrie of the whole Kingdom, who for the most part have their own Palaces and pass the greatest part of the 163 Year here; so that for Nobility and Gentry there are few Cities in the World more considerable than this. I think it is for this Reason, that it is commonly called Napoli la Gentile: Nor is it to be passed by, that it gives name to a Kingdom; which is not very Ordinary. The City is big and sumptuously built from the Sea to these pleasant Hills a|bout it. It is very well fortified with strong Walls & Castles, especially since the dayes of Charles V. who built the Castle of St. Elme and called it la Bri|lia, that is, Bridle; intending to make it so, to the mutinous Humour of that people, and it may be alluding to the Armes of the City, which is an unbrid|led Horse; the exact emblem of the di|sposition of that people, as witness the innumerable Tumults and revolts both of old and late Years made by them. I confess there is no small occasion given them by the severe domination of Stran|gers over them; and it is strange that having so many brave and va|lourous Men amongst them, they 164 should more readily agree to submit their necks to the Yoak of a Stranger, than to the sweet Scepter of a Native of their own number and Nation. It is thought the great emulation, (which the Spaniards as wisely, as industriously keep up to the hight) amongst the Princes, who are but too numerous for the ex|tent of the Kingdom, is the great cause of their unhappiness. You may take notice of these particu|lars within the Town. 1ly. The Church|es; of which this City hath a greater num|ber, than any other of its bigness in Europe. Amongst the rest, that of the Annunciata, is so Rich; that the Rent of the Hospitall thereof is capable to entertain, 5000 Poor, part whereof are Children found. St. Chiana, together with the Monastrie of Nuns consisting of 400 with as many servants, is very glori|ous; It was Built by Agnes of Spain Queen to King Robert. There are many curious Sepulchres to be seen here of Kings, Queens, and their Children. In the Church of St. Dominico is to be seen 165 the Image of the Crucifix, that said to St. Thomas Aquinas; bene scripsisti do me· Thoma. In the Church of the Frat[...] di monte Oliueto, the true Pictures of Ferdinand, the first and the second; and Alfonsus the First; both Kings of Naples, are so Admirably well done that they seem to be living. There is likewise Buried here Alexander ab Alexandro, who composed that learned work Genialium dierum. The Church called the Domo, hath a Chapell compo|sed of Marble, Jasper, Gold and Brass; wherein is keept the Head of St. Genna|ro, and a little Phiole of his Blood all to|gether fixed, which being approached to the Head of the St. [...]immediatly begins to boyll, dissolves and becomes clear. The most ancient of all the Churches is that of St. Paul, keept now by the Jesuits; It was formerly the Tem|ple of Castor and Pollux. 2. The Religious Houses or Convents; of which there are so great a number, that the Dominicans alone have seventeen. The Chartrous convent stands upon the 166 Hill, a little beneath the Castle St. Elm[...]' It hath the pleasantest Situation that I ever beheld; one may discover from it the whole City and Suburbs of Naples, a great part of the Campania Felice, the monte Vesuvio, all the Bay of Naples, the Island of Capreae, the Hill Posilipo, Pu|teoli, Baii, Cuma, &c. The Cloister of the convent is all of white Marble, and in short, both the Church and whole Con|vent are altogether Magnificent. 3ly. The Hospitals; which are about twelve in number; amongst which, that of the Annunciata and of the Incueabili are the most considerable. It is said that they Marry 665. Maids every Year, and the least portion they give with any is 24 Ducats, and the greatest 300. 4ly. The Castles; of which there are 4. The Castle d'Ovo stands within the Sea upon a Rock, built of an Oval Figure by Willam III. a Norman. The Castle Nov[...] was built by Charles the first, Brother to St. Lewes, but it was Ferdinand of Ara|gon that fortified it so well. It is of a quadrangular figure, Built of polished 167 Stone as hard as Marble; it hath foure great Bastions, and five Towres, toge|ther with strong ramparts, and deep Ditches, which the Sea water filleth: It is ordinarly keept by a Garison of the Spaniards Consisting of 500. There is a great Magazin of all kinds of Armes & Engines for War keept within it. In the middle of it stands the Governours Palace, capable to Lodge a King. It is excellent|ly furnished with Hangings of silk and gold, many excellent Statues and Pi|ctures. Amongst other fine things there is a Cabinet furnished with all sorts of curiosities. The Castle of St. Elm stands upon the top of a Rock, commanding all about it; It's Garison consists of 250. Spainards. It was built by King Robert the first, Son to Charles II. but after|wards farr better fortified with great Bastions by the Emperour Charles V. who called it La Brillia di Napoli. The Castle Capuano (so called from it's situation which is near to the Port of Capuano) is rather a Palace than a Fortress where the Magistrats of the City, 168 and Officers of justice keep their Assem|blies. 5. The Palaces; whereof there are a very great number, amongst which that of the Viceroy; That of the Prince of Salern· which the Jesuits now possess, are very considerable. The Palace of the Duke of Gravina is most superb. That of the Cara|fi is adorned with abundance of excel|lent statues of Marble and Brass. There be many other worthie to be seen: as also the beautifull Garden of Don Garcia di Toledo, which is full of Grotto's, Foun|tains, Water works, statues &c. 6. The Harbour, or Sea Port; which is fortified with a Superb mole, first made by Charles II. And then very much mended by Alfonsus the first, for the great|er security of the Harbour. 7. The Publick Places, the streets, & the avenues of the Town. 8. The Suburbs; which are seven in number; amongst which the most consi|derable, is that which leads A la grotio di Posilipo; near to the entry of which Grotto stands la mergelina, looking in|to 169 the Bay; it was sometimes the House of pleasure of Sanazarius that famous Poet, who gave it to the Religious men called Servi. This Suburb is no less than two miles in length from the City to the Grotto of Po[...]lipo. The Circuit of the Town and Suburbs is counted to be a|bout six miles: and the Inhabitants to be about 30[...]000. Soules. Statius Papi|nius and Jacobus Sanazarius; both excel|lent Poets; together with many other great Virtuosi were borne in this City. It will be worth the while also to take a view of the Book-sellers Shops, there being many good Books Printed here which hardly or not all can be found with us; as for example, the works of Baptista Porta, whereof the Impressions at Naples were both the first and fairest, and the Cutts for the most part Tailledouce. The works of Fabius Columna, which are almost out of Print, and especially his Phytobasanos. It may likewise happen that there are some new peeces emitted which will never come to our hands 170 for at least, not tell after a great while. It is likely too that You may meet with many other Books, that in other places You had sought in vain for: there are many learned and Curious men in this City, and they are as mortall here as elsewhere, and as ordinary a thing it is to sell their Books. You will likewise meet with a great many curiosities of all sorts, espccially from the Levant: some naturall; as stones, shells, Animalls, or parts of them, fruits &c. Others artificiall; some of Leather, as Purses, Letter-cases, cups, and a great many things of that kind, usualy brought from Allepo and Con|stantinople: Some of Silk either alone, or mingled with gold and silver; as Sashes, Girdles, Cravats, Night-Caps, wast|coats, stockings, &c. Outlandish Armes, as Cimetres, Poyniards, Bows and Ar|rows, with severall sorts of fire Armes. Medalls antient and modern: Intalio's Chameo's &c. But in these You must take some heed, that You mistake not the modern for antique. 171 Having well viewed and considered the City and all things in it. It will be necessary to see those things that are con|siderable about it. And first the Hill Po|silipus, famous for it's Gardens and Houses of Pleasure, for it's Fruits and Wines, especially the greco di Posilipo. But that which is most Admirable in this Hill is the Passage cut quite thro' it. By Cocceius of whom Pontanus saith, Nescio an is fu|erit M. Cocceius Nerua Augusti Avus, qui Romae aquarum curam habuit tulit{que} m[...]x|imam Architecturae Laudem. Howeve[...] it is certain he must have been a man of great Riches that durst undertake so great a work, at his oun expence. It is called la Grotta di Posilipo, and is very near a mile in length, cutt thro' the Rock. As for the breadth of it, one Coach may pass another with ease. And for the Hight, I believe a man on Horseback will hardly touch the Roof of it with a Lance; At the two ends it is some what higher than in the middle, I think of purpose that the light might enter the farther. When You enter at the one end You 172 will very hardly perceive the light in the other end, but as You advance it begins to appear by little and little. In the Just middle of it, on that side which is next the Sea, there is a little Chapell, where a Lamp is keept continually burning, but it is more out of Devotion than for any light it gives: betwixt the Chapell and the end, as it were about the middle on every side of the Chapell there is a hole cutt thro' the Hill which serveth for a win|dow, but it gives little light. It is exceed|ing dusty, especeially if there be many Horses Ryding together altho' it be paven with stone, because there comes no Rain to wash it, and none takes pains to make it clean. Those that goe from Naples to Pozzuolo if they hear any Horses Coaches or Carts coming toward them, least they should stop the way, or unawares Justle one another, they use to cry aloud dal mare, which when the others hear, they cry in like manner dal monte and so those that goe from Naples take that side of the Grotto, which is next the Sea and these that go to it take the side 173 next the Hill; and so avoid all incum|brance. At the mouth of the Grotto, upon the top thereof is the famous Sepulchre of Virgil. There is little remaning of it now except a few Ruins of an old Brick wall in the middle whereof anciently there did stand nine small Pillars, which su|stained a Marble U[...], in which were con|tained the Poets ashes, with this Distich. Mantua me genuit, Calabri rapuere, te|net nunc Parthonope; cecini pascua, rura, duces. Not far from this Tomb, is the Sepul|chre of that famous Poet Sanazarius, in a Place called Mergelina, a Villa given him by King Frederick, where he built a Church in Honour of the BIessed Virgin, and composed that incomparable Poem de partu Virginis. He is Buried within the Church in a Tomb of pure Marble upon which his statue done to the life standeth with this Epitaph by Cardinal [...]embo. Da Sacro cineri flores, hic ille Maroni Sineerus, musa proximus, ut tumulo. 174 There are many other excellent Statues, Base Relieves, and Pictures within this Church well worthie the seeing. When you go to Pozzuolo, you must take a Guide with you to show you all the considerable Places. It will be a good dayes Journey because You have many Things to see and consider, and therefore you must part early in the Morning from Naples. The first thing you will meet with upon the Way, (but you turne out of the common way) is the Lago di Agnano at the side of which are the Natural stoves of St. German, which are certain little roomes, where the hot and Sulphureous Vapors entering from the Ground quick|ly provoke sweating, and is commend|ed in severall diseases. At a little distance from thence, up|on the side of the Lake is the Grotto de I Cani. It is a little hole dug out of the side of a Brae where two or three Persons scarcely can stand. The Floore of it is ordinarily wet and dirtie, out of which there riseth a Poisonous Vapour, 175 in form of Smoak, but it ascendeth not above a Foot from the Ground. They use to trie it with Torches and Dogs, which you must carrie from Naples with you, for you will not find them upon the Place. As for the Torches, the guide lights two, and then reaches one of them to the Smoak, which instantly ex|tinguishes, as if it were blown out by the force of Powder: Then he lights it at the other, and so renews the experi|ment as oft as you please, keeping al|ways one lighted, untill your Curiosi|tie be satisfied; as for the Dogs he holds their Nose into the Vapour, and instantly they begin to fetch their Breath thick, and in a very little space are quite suffocated. If ye let them ly long, they will never recover, but if ye take them immediately when they are fallen down and throw them into the Lake, they will by little and little returne to live again. I guesse this Vapour to be so much like the Damps, that are sometimes found in our Coal-pitts, only, with us, they are soon dissipated, but here this lasteth 176 continuallie, and (which is yet more strange) in an open Air; but it may be the openness of the Air is the Reason why the Vapour ascendeth no higher. I remember one of our Dogs did recover without being thrown into the Lake, which makes me believe, that it is not any peculiar Vertue in the water (as is commonly said) that restoreth them to life, but only the freedom of the Air, with the help whereof Nature reinforceth it self, the life being yet not quite ex|tinct, which is cleared by this, that if they lye any considerable time in the cave, neither Air nor water will recover them. It is very True that, That which was thrown in the Lake recovered much sooner, and better: whereas the other remained paralytick, and impotent to move his hinder quarters: (tho' he could Sit upon his foremost Leggs and bark·) for almost two houres thereafter. It seems there is something in this Vapour or Damp that coagulats or fixes the Spi|rits, that they cannot move or circu|lat in the Body. 177 From hence you take the Way to Pazzuolo, near to which you will meet with a Place called la Solfatara, it is a large plaine, Oval in Figure, representing a The|atre, it is above 1200 Foot in length and 1000 in breadth, it is compassed about with white & high Hills, from which in many Places, arise Clouds of smoak, of a Sulphu|reous smell, rolling up into the Air impetu|ously, with great crackling. Some of these spiracles are very small, so that it is a Plea|sure, to see the Smoake ascend, by a direct line of the bigness of cane, and sometimes smaller by much. About these spiracles you will see Quantitie of the Flowres of Brimstone sublimed; but I suspect the internal use of them, because of the mix|ture of other minerals wherewith they may be infected: But for external uses, I am not so doubtfull, as also of the Spirit which by the help of convenient Glasses might be gathered in aboundance from these spiracles. When you consider the plaine you will wonder to hear it sound under your Horse-feet, as you were Ri|ding over a large Floore, which is caused 178 by the Vacuitie underneath. All the Hills about abound in veines of Allum whereof some is scissile; nitre, Sulphur, Vi|triol & Salt Armoniac. The Vitriol is of a Delicat blew Colour and much finer than that which is commonly called Ro|man-Vitriol. It will be worth your while to take particular notice of these mi|nerals, how they are extracted out of their mines, what differences there are of every Species, how they are mixed with one another sometimes, by what Art they are purified, and with what Instruments, and to what use they are put. I would have you take a Parcel of every sort and bring along with you, which you may box up at Naples with Cotton, and send before you to Rome. Having done these things, you come to Pozzuolo; in Latine Puteoli. The City is now much Ruined; but was Stately and Rich of Old. Cicero writing to At|ticus saith quid potui non videre cum per Emporeum puteolanum iter facerem; which is Chieflly to be understood of that part of the Town, which stood upon the 179 Shoare where the Arti[...]ans, and chiefly the Goldsmiths, had their Shops, where|of there remaines little now except the Ruins, and Vestiges: And yet beneath the Church di Giesu Maria, possessed by the Dominicans, when the Wind dryves out the Sea, they do find sometimes severall Precious Stones, some cutt, some uncutt; and if you be Curious to en|quire you will find People that make a Trade to sell such things amongst other Anticails. I remember there came seve|rall of these Persons to our Lodging-House, with Medals, Intaglio's, Lucerne Antiche &c. But I found many of them to be cheats, and but moderne, brought thither from Naples and other Places, of purpose to cheat Strangers, who are or|dinarly more Curious than knowing of these things; As for Medals, were they never so Ancient, they are little worth unless they be well preserved, and the Characters and impressions easie to be discerned. And for Intaglio's unless the Figure be good· and well done, and the Stone entire and unbroken, they are not 180 worth much. The great Church now dedicated to St. Proclus was anciently dedicated to Octavianus Augustus. It is a Sumptuous Fabrick of great square Marble Stones; serving for the whole thickness of the Wall, with great and high Corinthian Pillar's, and other Ex|cellent Ornaments of Architecture. Here are also be seen many Ruins of great antiquitie, amongst which she Gardens of Cicero famous for his Academy, where he wrote his Quaestiones Academi|cae. But this City, in diverse ages has suffered so much by the tumults of Wars, as also by the eruptions of fire and earth|quakes, that it is wonderfull there should yet remain any vestiges of Antiquitie. The Soil about it is most fertile and fruitfull, and nature produceth here many Plants of it's oun accord, which in other places are kept in Gardens, not without care: among others I remember to have seen the Ricinus or Palma Christi not only growing wild but out-living that Winter, and continuing fresh green and strong in the month of March; al|tho' 181 it be an Annual Plant with us, that can hardly be raised upon a hot bed. You may have your Horse at Pozzuolo, and hyre a boat to cross the Bay for see|ing of the following things, And 1. hard by the City the remains of that Superb mole, which having been ruined by storme was afterwards Restored by the Emperour Antoninus: But at present all that Remains is 12. or 13. great Pillars built of Brick and stones of vast bigness. They appear so many towrs, over which there are yet remaining, but half Ruined, some Arches. This fashion of Moles seem to be the best, because the Pillars and Arches are sufficient to break the water and secure the Ships within, and by letting part of the water enter betwixt the Pillars les|sens it's violence, so that the Pillars suffer not half so much, as if they were one continued wall. The Emperour Caligulae built a bridge of boats from Pozzuolo to Baii upon which he went in Triumph first on Horsback and then in Chariot, but it was of small continuance and ser|ved only to be the subject of discourse in 182 future ages. Having passed these Pillars. Yov put ashore hard by the Lacus Lu|crinus which as some said was so called a Lucro from the profit which it yeild|ed to the Romans by the great abundance of excellent Fish especialie Oysters, which were esteemed before any other in Italy: Whence Martial to express the Glutto|ny of a certain Person. Ostrea tu sumis stagno saturata Lucrino. But there is little water in it now, it being almost dryed up by that most Ter|rible eruption of the Solfatara which happned in the Year 1538. the 29. of September two hours after Sun set, the whole countrey about having been troubled for two Years before with Earthquakes: At which time there burst out in one night so great a quantitie of fire, Stones, Pumecks, and ashes, that near to the monte Barbaro formerly called mons Gaurus it made another Hill, near three miles in compass, and almost as high as the monte Barbaro. The south part of it looks to the Sea, the north reaches to the Lacus Avernus, & on the East it is 183 joined with the foot of Monte Barbaro. It is called monte Nuovo. These ashes did not only make this Hill, but covered like|wise a great part of the Country about, Killing both beasts and Trees, and ruin|ing the Vintage for that Year. The Sea in the mean time retired above 200 paces, leaving abundance of Fish upon the dry sands, and many Wells of fresh Water, which sprung here and there. 2. The Lacus Avernus is about half a miles distance from the Lago lucrino. It is compassd about with small Hills which they say were formerly covered with Trees, that did over shaddow the wa|ter, and make it look black, and like|wise did hinder the Sulphureous Vap|ours that did arise from the water to dissipat, so that the Air being infected with these vapours became so noysome especially to Fowls, that they could not live in it, and hence came the Name Avernus. At present there is little or no Wood about it, nor is the Air any thing more noysome there, than in other places about, and I have seen Fowles 184 haunting about it and swimming in it. It is said to be very deep & for that reason without Fish but I am not certain hereof. 3. Upon the west side of the Lake, cutt into the Hill is the Antrum Sybillae commonly called Grotta della Sybilla, but not truly, for the true Cave of Sybill[...] is at C[...]a. This seems rather to have been a common passage from Avernus to P[...]ia, but is now stopt at the one end by the falling down of the Hill a|bove. The passage is large and High, but altogether dark, and therefore You must be guided by Torch light. When You are got a good way in, upon the one side there is a little narrow passage of about three or fourscore foot in length, that leads into a handsome large Cham|ber, which altho' it be now much ruin|ed, appears to have been Richly adorned, the Roof of it being Painted with Gold and Blew, and the Walls with curious figures of divers colours and the Pave|ment consisting of many small peeces like unto Mosaick. It is a vulgar errour that this was Sybilla's Chamber, and 185 that the Temple of Apollo, where she re|ceived her Responses, was hard by upon the Right Hand as you enter to the Lake; But it is not so, for the Ruins of that Place appeare not to have been any Tem|ple at all, But rather a Superb Bathing House, such as that of Baia, for it has the same order of Windows, & Spiracles for conducting of the Vapours. But to returne to the Grotto, upon the left hand, as You enter into this Chamber, there is another Passage, some what higher and larger than the first, about 40. foot in length cut out into the Hill, which leads into another Chamber, from which there is a narrow passage, which leads into another Chamber, and severall other little passages and Roomes which I doe not distinctly remember, only this much that in one of them, there is as it were a little Pool of Warm Water. In this Room the heat is so great, that it is im|possible to continue any time in it with|out excessive Sweating, which makes me to believe, that these Rooms were inten|ded for no other use than Bathing and Sweating. 186 4. The Remains or Ruins; and first Bagno di Cicerone. 2ly. Bagno di Tritoli; quasi Frittoli, q[...]od Corpora ibi fricrentur, The Entrie to it is large and high. Tow|ards the ground it is cold, but if you stand upright You must needs Sweat for Heat, and the farther one goes in, the greater the Heat is. At the bottom of the Rock within Sea-mark, and even where the Sea covers it, the Sand is so Hot that one cannot lift a handfull of it. 5. Baia; So called from Baius, the Companion of Vlysses, who was Buried there. It was a most delicat City, but now altogither Ruined, and in the place of it there is a Castle lately Built with a a Garison of 30. Souldiers for Securing the Port, which is verie safe for Gallies, but not deep enough for Ships. The whole Bay, or Sinus of Baia, is exceed|ingly Pleasant; all that Tract betwixt Avernus and the Mons Misenus being full of the Remains of great and Noble structures. Many of the Roman Emper|ours took great pleasure in this place, & and spared no cost for the beautifying of 167 it. Horace, who was no ill Judge, gives this Testimony of it, Nullus in Orbe locus Baiis praelucet amoenis. As You go forward from Baia, You will still be finding something worthie the Remarking; as, 1. The House of Agrippi|na, Nero's Mother, who was put to Death here by her Sons Command. It is com|monly said to be her Sepulchre, but it is not true. There is yet to be seen the Plaister of the Roof and walls in severall Curious figures, but they are much de|faced by the smoak of the Torches which strangers from all parts so frequently carry down with them. 2. That delicat Pleasant Field called the Eligium, so much renowned by Virgil in the 6th. Book of the Aeneids. All the Noble Per|sons that lived here abouts, or did other|wise attend upon the Court, which did often happen to be here, likewise those that for their Health's sake came to the Bath's, used to walk in this place for their 188 Recreation and Converse. I am easily inclined to believe that considering it's Situation, Prospect, and the Order that it was keept in, when so many great Persons frequented it, It could not chuse but have been the most delicious Place in the whole World, and no wonder that it Prompted Virgil to Borrow both it's name and his Conceit in expressing and describing the Place of the Blessed Soules Departed. I saw it in the begin|ing of the Moneth of March, and then the Heat was considerable, and the Place not only green but covered with Anemonies and other Flowers. Hard by this, is the Piscina Miraebilis: it is a Ci|stern for keeping of fresh Water, of a vast Bigness, the Roof whereof is support|ed by 48. great Pillars on everie side. The whole inside of it is Crusted over with a kind of Plaster as hard as Mar|ble, which whither it was so made by Art, or by the Continuance of the Water in it, I know not, but I think it probable that both have contributed to it. Boccace in his Book of Rivers, believs 189 it to have been built by Agrippa, for preserving of fresh Water, for the Com|modity of the Navie which used to stay at Misenum. The Water was brought to it by aquedu[...]ts from Serino. 3. Mons Misenus or the Promontorium Misenum, so called from Misenus, Aeneas's Trum|peter, who was Buried here. It is of a Reasonable Hight, and without doubt the prospect from it is Noble; but I did not ascend it, by reason of the Com|pany that would not stay for me. 4. The Centum Cellae; which are a con|tinued Fabrick built of Brick with great Art under ground, it seems they have been Cisterns for Conserving of Water. In short, all this peece of ground is full of ancient Ruins, and it is not easie to Guesse, what every one of them in Par|ticular hath been. Having vieued all these things, you ei|ther go straight to Cuma, or else you leave it for another Day, and so re|turne to Pozzulo, by the same Boat that waited upon you from it, and so returne by Horse, by the lower but plainer and 190 more pleasant Way, to Naples, from from whence the next Day you may go to Cuma, in Latine Cumae; a City built upon the Top of a Hill six Miles from Naples; upon the highest Top of this Hill stood the Temple of Apollo built by Dedalus, when he fled from the wrath of King Minos. It was in this Temple that Sybilla Cumea did pronounce the Ora|cles of Apollo. Hence that of Virgil, At pius Aeneas arces quibus altus Apollo Praesidet, horrendae{que} procul secreta Sybillae. As you descend from Cuma upon that side that looks to the East, is to be seen the Frontis-peece of the true Grotta of Sybilla, which was cut out of the solid Rock, which Virgil describeth, Excisum Euboicae latus ingens rupis in antrum. There are many other Ancient Ru|ins worthie the taking notice of, which you may have leasure enough to observe, and have time enough to returne to Naples at Night. 191 The next Day you may take Horse again and a Guide with you from the Town, to see the burning Hill, about 8 Miles distant from the Town; It is cal|led in Latine Vesuvius, and in Italian Monte di soma, from the great Plentie of all things wherewith it aboundeth. the Hill it self is of a very Large Com|pass, and about the middle divided in two Tops, of which one is much abated of its length by the burning. Before the first eruption of the Fire, it was much higher than the other, but now it is by much the lower. It is not easily accessible both in regard of its steepness, and the great Quantitie of Ashes that co|ver it every where, by Reason whereof, the ascent becomes slippery and uncer|tain. In the ascending, you may take nottice of many several Channels, some larger and deeper, some narrower and shallower made by the Tor|rents of burning Sulphur and other Mineral Substances, which Boyled out at the Top in the last great eruption it made, which torrents were carried se|veral 192 Miles into the Gulf or bay of Na|ples without being quenched, and killed the Fishes in the middle of the deep. You may likeways take notice of the various Mineral Substances, & Stones burn'd to Pumick, which are scattered over the whole Hill. When you come at the Top you will see the great Gulf made by the se|veral eruptions, which is suposed to be six Miles in compasse about the Brimmes, so that it makes a very large plain Field at the Bottom, that in deepness from the brimm is not above a hundred Yards, it is all covered with Ashes, and no|thing green in it, except it be some few Tufts, of I cannot tell what, not being able to Judge of them at that distance. The descent to the Bottom at some pla|ces seems to be easie enough, but we could find none so hardie as to venture to show us the way, altho' some of our Guides had undertaken it before, and to speak truth, it is no great discretion to venture so far down upon a Ground, which probably is not able to support one, being nothing in appearance but a 193 Field of Ashes of uncertain deepthness. You will see in a Hundred diverse Places, Spiracles, some greater, some smaller, out of which the Smoak rises impetu|ously, as it were shott out of a Gun, and with a continual Crackling, like that of Thunder at a distance, or the quenching of Fire. When you have satisfied your Curiositie of seeing all, you must return the same Day, and take your Horse where you left him, about the middle of the Hill; and so returne to Naples. It is usuall for Strangers to light at a Village a|bout midway to the City, to Taste of these excellent Wines, that grow upon the fertile places of the Hill, and parti|cularly of Lachryma Christi, otherways called Lagrima di Soma, which is a gross bodied Red Wine, strong and sweet to the taste, and very pleasant. In the suburbs of the Town, as you re|turn, you may see the Kings Stables, where the choisest Horses of the Kingdom are menaged and keept for the Kings use. Thus having vieued all in & about Na|ples, it will be time to order your re|turn 194 for Rome, by the same way you came, nor do I remember any other thing needfull to be observed or advised, except that you must l[...]t[...] your Baggage [...]e vieued at the Gate· as you go out, and take a Pass from the Customers; or which you will pay some small thing. You will likeways do well to rid your self of all Spanish Monie (gold excepted) unless it be somuch as will serve to bear your expen|ses to Fu[...]die, because it will not pass in any place of Italy, except such as are un|der the Spanish Dominion. If the Season of the Year be good, there is excellent Her[...]rising upon this [...]oade to Naples. You will find Wild in the Fields, many sorts of Narcissus's, many Colours of single Anemone's, Squills: As[...]h[...]delus albus ma[...]or; Tithyma|lus Dendroides. It is a Plant I never saw, except upon the way from Piper|n[...] [...] T[...]rrachina, about mid way u|pon a Hill side, where it groweth in great aboundance. It is a stately tall Plant, [...] reading it self into severall Branches, some whereof I observed to be as big as a 195 Mans Wrist. It had few or no leaves on it in the Season when I saw it, which was March, but aboundance of Yellow Flowers at the Top's of the Branches: The Ficus indica lati-folia, is a Beast|ly weed in the same Place, and spoiles all the Ground; every leafe that falls spring|ing up into a new Plant, which at last becometh hard and woodie. Tuchr[...]um lusit anicum arborescens, of which I saw some goodly tufts near to Terachina. There be many other, which for brevi|ties sake I omit to mention, and like|ways a great many that I have forgot, having lost those notes I made of their names and places; but I hope you will supply this defect, being your self much more able to do it. Being returned to Rome, which I shall suppose to be about the middle or end of April: It will be fitt for you to think of the next Voyage towards Loretto, un|less you resolve to pass the Summer at Rome, for after the 20th. of May, un|till the latter Rains fall (which is com|monly about the middle of September, or 196 the beginning of October, the extream heat makes Travel very unseasonable. But if in the case of necessity, such as Pestilence, or War, you should be forced to undertake the Journey, you must order it so as to Travel most in the Night, and Rest in the heat of the Day, and be sure not to Sleep till you have passed the Campania of Rome, as I have formerly marked. The Way to Loretto from Rome. Miles. Prima porta 7 Castel Novo 8 Rignano 7 Civita 9 O[...]ricoli 8 Nar[...]i [...] Terni [...] Strettur[...] 8 Spolet[...] 8 Passo di Spel[...]to 8 Verchi[...]no B[...]rg[...] 9 197 Pi[...] di dignano [...] Mucc[...]a Castello 7 Valcimara 8 To[...]entino 9 Macerata 10 Loretto 6 I have not much to say of the parti|cular places upon this Road, only Tern[...] is an Ancient City and pleasantly situat|ed; the River Negra, in Latine Nar being divided in many Branches, and drawn through the Town, are as it were so many little Rivers, whence also the Town in La|tine is called Interamna: the Meadowes & Fields about it, are exceedingly fertile, in so much that the meadowes are mowen three or four times a Year; and they talk that Turneps are often found there of five or six & thirtie weight, of which seaven or eight will load an Ass; it is also renowned for Pidgeons, which are thought the biggest & most savoury in Italy. If you can take the leisure to stay here any time, it will be worth your 198 while to see the Lago di piedi luco, in Latine Lacus velinus (not far from Terni) which is said to be the middle of all I|taly, that which is most considerable in it, is the Issue of the Waters from it, which was cut by a Roman Consul through a Rock, whence it Rushes out, and falls over so great a hight of Rocks, that it makes a noise which may be heard at ten Miles distance, and makes a grea|ter cascata then that of Tivoli. From Verchian[...] you have the Appennine to pass, which is that ridg of Hills that divides all Italy by the length. From Valcimara, the way is exceeding good to Loretto. Loretto it self is a little Town not very Ancient, built upon the Top of a Hill, not above 3 or 4 Miles from the Adri|atick Sea, it is fortified reasonably well: the most considerable thing in it, is the Church, in the Quire whereof stands the Casa S[...]ncta, brought thither from Judeae Miraculously by Angels, as is beleeved. This is the House in which the blessed Virgin is said to have been Born. The 199 out-side of it is walled about with Mar|ble cut into excellent Figures, but yet so as the Walls touch not the Holy House. The inside hath continually Lamps burning in it, some of Gold, some of Silver. There is in it a Picture of our Saviour and the Virgin, which they say were painted by St. Luke. The Image of the Virgin, which stands upon the Altar, hath a Garment upon it all co|vered with Pearles, & upon the Head a Crown of Gold, enriched with Jewells; upon the Top whereof there is a Carbun|cle of the bigness of an Egg. There is like|ways shown within the House a little Dish, out of which our Saviour is said to have Eat his Meat whilst he was yet a Babe. People commonly bring their Beads, Me|dals, & other peeces of Devotion to be put in this Dish, & to touch the other relicts. The Sacristia is well worthy the seeing be|cause of the Jewels, and other Rich pre|sents and Ornaments belonging to the House, which are keept there, and have been given and offered continualy, by allmost all Princes and great Persons in 200 Christendom. The Cellar is likeways worthie the seeing, being exceedingly Large and full of Wines. Amongst o|thers they ordinarly shew one great Tun out of which they draw 3 or 4 sorts of Wine, some red, some white. The num|ber of Pilgrims, and other Persons, that out of Devotion resort to this Place, from all the parts of Christendom, is allmost infinit, insomuch that every Day ap|pears to be a holy Day and the whole Year but one continued Feast. So soon as the Gates are opened in the morning, they begin to enter as it were in Pro|cession. I believe there are but few In|habitants in the Town, except a few Trades-men of all sorts, for the Ac|commodation of Strangers, the greatest part are Merchants, that sell nothing but Beads and peeces of Devotion, such as Medals of Silver, Gold, Brass, Christal &c. Books of Devotion, and such like. There is good Accommodation in the Town, at a reasonable Rate. The City is Commanded by a Governour, who hath his Palace near to the Church. 201 We were Recommended to him by Car|dinal Charles Barbarini, and were treat|ed by him with great Civilitie; his Se|cretary being commanded to wait upon us, and show us all that was considerable in the place. After two days stay here we dismissed our Horses that we brought from Rome, and Hyred new ones from Loretto to Bolognia. From Loretto to Bolognia. Miles Ancona 15 La casa Brugiata 9 Cenigalia 9 Fano 9 Pesaro 6 Rimini 20 Sanigniana Castello 9 Cesena 10 Furli 10 Faenza 10 Imola 10 St. Nicola Castello 10 Bolognia 10 202 Ancona is about half a days Journey from Loretto. It is a verie ancient City and the best Sea Port in Italy, at least upon the Adriatick Coast: The Port was Built, at least Restored and Beautified, by Trajan the Emperour, in whose Ho|nour a most stately Triumphal Arch was Raised upon it, which it yet extant, with this Inscription in Capital Letters. Imp. Caes. di[...]i Nervae F. Nervae Trajano opti|mo August. Germanic. Daetico. Pontef. max. Tr. Pot. xix. Imp. xi. Cos. vii. P. P. Providentissimo Princ. S. P. Q. R. Quod adcessum Italiae, Hoc etiam addi|to ex pecunia sua Portum tutiorem Na|vigantibus reddiderit. And upon the Right side thereof You may Read this Inscription Plotinoe Aug. Conjugi Aug. And upon the left, Divae Marcian: Aug: sorori August. Cenigalia is a little Town having a Sea-Port· It seems from the name to have been built, and to have belonged to the Galli Cenones. Fano, Antiently Fanum; because of the Temple of Fortune that stood here; There 203 is a stately Triumphall Arch of Marble 30, Cubits High. Pesaro is a very Plea|sant and handsome City having many fine Houses and a Magnificent Palace, It is well Peopled and well Fortified. The Duke of Vrbin, to whom this City did belong, used to pass one half of the Year here; But since his Death without Heirs Male the whole Dutchie is Reunited to the Ecclesiastick state. Rimini, in Latine Ariminum; is like to be so called from the River Arimine that passes by it. There are severall fair Pala|ces in it, built by the Mala-testi antient Lords of the Place. There is a Triumph|al Arch erected in Honour of Augustus, yet extant, and the Ruines of a great Theatre. But the most considerable thing of all is the Bridge, Built of great square Marble stones, of twentie foot in length and 15. in breadth, with five Arches. The Bridge Joynes the Via Flaminia and the Via Emilia together. It is said to have been Built by Tiberius Caesar. In the Mercat place there is to be seen the stone upon which Julius Caesar stood, and en|couraged 204 his Officers, when he began the Civil War. This Stone hath this Inscrip|tion C. Caesar D. Rubicone superato, civili Bello, Comilitones suos hic in for[...] Arimi|nensi adlocutus. Within a Mile of Cesina, or there a|bouts, You must pass the Rubicon, which seems to be but a Torrent, and in the Summer time for the most part dry; At the place where You pass there is yet ex|tant an ancient Pillar, the Inscription whereof hath made the name of Rubicon so famous. it is as follows; Jussu manda|tuve P. R. Cos. Imp. Myli Tyro Co|milito manipulariaeve Cent. Turmaeve Le|gionariae armat quis quis est hic sistito. Vexillum sinito, ne citra hunc amnem Ru|biconem signa, Arma, ductum, commea|tum, Exercitum{que} traducito; siquis hu|jusce Jussionis ergo adversum ierit, fece|ritve, adjudicatus esto hostis P: R. ac si contra Patriam armaverit, Sacros{que} Pe|natos e penetralibus asportaverit Sanctio plebisci Senatus. 205 NE Consulto ultra hos fines Armae pro|ferre liceat nemini. S. P. Q. R. And upon the other side of the Pil|lar, the following Inscription; Rubiconem ponta subjectum transis viator, Romano interdicto Caesaris ausu, & adagio, Jactae alcae, Celebratum. Flumini huic stabilem imponere trajec|tum, Ethnica diu vetuit pavida Supersti|tio, Catholica nunc suasit socura Religio. Innocent: Xo Summo Pont: Card: D: Legato 1654. Furli; in Latine Forum Livii, where there is litle thing considerable except the Market Place. Faenza; is divided in two by the Ri|ver Lamone, over which stands a goodly Bridge that Joynes the two parts of the Town together, it is called in Latine Fa|ventia, and the People Faventini. 206 The whole way from Ancona to Bo|lognia is Plain and Smooth, and the Countrey on all sides very Rich and Fertile, but especially near to Bolognia, (which deservedly is called la Crassa) where the whole Countrey, on everie s[...]de of the high way, looks like Gardens, be|ing Hedged and closed in on all sides, and Planted with Olive and while Mul|berry Trees, the Leaves whereof [...]erve to the [...]eeding of Silk Wormes, and at the Roots of which the Vines being Plant|ed, run up and spread themselves thorow all the Branches of the Trees, and load them with Grapes. The distance betwixt the Ranges of Trees is Sowen sometimes with Wheat, or other usefull Grain, or Kitchin Herbs and Roots, Nor is there wanting here abundance of the Choisest Fruits that Italy affoords. Bolognia; is the second Town of the Ecclesiastick State, sweetly situated in a large Plain, near to some Hills at the one side. The City is near two Miles in length and one in breadth, and about 5 Miles in Compass. The Inhabitants are 207 not esteemed to be under 80 Thousand in number, amongst which it is thought there are two Thousand Gentlemen, whereof many have the Titles of Count and Marques. There is a famous U|niversity & many fine Colledges worthie to be seen: As also many fine Churches & Religious Houses. The Archdean of the Cathedral of St. Peters, has the Privi|ledge of making Doctors, above others. In the Church of Corpus Christi, may be seen the intire Body of St. Katharine of Vigri, a Religious Woman of the Order of St. Clare, that Died at Bolognia, in the Year 1463. She sits in a Chair, with a Religious Habit. The Skin of her Face seems to be bent and streacht, her Eyes open, her Hands and Feet bare: In one Hand She holds a Crucifix, the other is placed upon a Pillow. They use in the presence of a great deal of Com|panie to paire her Nails every Month, and to cut her Hair once a Year, after they are grown. In the Iacobins Church is keept the Head of St. Dominick in a Rich Tabernacle, and his Body in a Cu|rious 208 Tomb of white Marble cut in se|verall figures of Base relieve; In the Choire may be seen the Histories of the New and Old Testament, with wonder|full Artifice represented in mosaick of of Wood. There is also to be seen here, a rare Peece of Painting, of the Innocents made by Guido Reni; all the parts of this Convent are worthie the taking no|tice of, the Cloisters, the Dormitories of above 150 Religious, the Refictory Painted by great Masters, the Apothe|caries Shop, and the Bibliotheck, and the Cellar which is extraordinarly Big. There be many fine Palaces worthie the seeing, and very well Ornamented within, but especially the Popes own Pa|lace, where the Legat resides, and in it you must take particular care to see Al|drovandi's Studie, and Collection of Cu|riosities, which are keept in this Palace, and commonly intrusted to the Legats Physitian. There is likeways to be seen in the Back Court Aldrovandi's Garden, in which there are some Curious Plants. In the Study you will see a great Her|ball, 209 in water Colours, but without any description, as also a whole press full of Manuscripts, written all with his own Hand. There are severall Towres in the Town, but especially that of Degli Pisanel|li, which is one of the highest I remember to have ever seen; it stands about the middle of the Town, and near by it there is an other which is not finished, and the reason they give for it is very apparent, that the Builders mistook the perpendicular; when one stands near to it, it is so very crooked that it appears to be just a falling. I had the Curiositie to go as high in the other Towre as I could, and rather because I thought I might more easily discover the situati|on of the Town, it's avenues, and the Country about, but I had much Reason to repent me: The ladders for the most part being old and rotten, so that I was in continuall apprehension of falling, and one slip would have done my turne as well as a hundred. I shall advise you rather to take the paines to see a Con|vent, 210 a little without the Town, toward the Hills, called St. Michaele in Bosco, from whence you will have a most De|licate Prospect of the Town and Coun|try about. The Town appears in the form of a Ship, and the Towre Deglipisanelli, may be the maine Mast of it. This Con|vent is one of the most Glorious in Italy; the Religious are of the Order di Monte Olivetto, there are many other things in the Town worthie the taking notice of, which for brevities sake I omit. You must not forget to see the Silk-Work, which is a most Curious con|trivance; it is three or four Storie high, in the Highest Storie there are Innume|rable Pirns of Silk, which are all moved by the generall Motion that the Wa|ter gives to some Wheeles below, & there they receive the first Twist; in the Storie next to that, they receive the se|cond; & in the lowermost Storie the last: which brings it to that form of raw Silk that we commonly see sold. This Place above all others in Italy, 211 or in the World, is famous for excel|lent Soap-Balls, of which you will do well to provide your self abundant|ly; they will keep in their perfection above 20 Years: You may have them of severall Sizes, bigger or lesser as you please. It is likeways famous for Sassadges, which are the best cetain|ly in tke World: I have seen of them of 5 Crownes the Peece. There is good Herbarising towards the Hills, if your leisure can permit you; you may take a Guide along with you. Upon these Hills, you will likeways find that famous Stone called Lapis phosphorus Bononiensis, of which For|tunatus Lic[...]t[...]s hath written a particular Book. It is very hard and Flintie like, but more glistering; when it is calcined 48 hours in a reverberatory Fire & then set to cooll: If you expose it a little to the light and free Air, and on the sud|den bring it to the dark, it shines for a little while as if it were a Red burning Coale, but there is a kind of efflorescence like Rust or greenish Dust that growes u|pon 212 the Top o