OF all Countries in the world,The situation of Genoa. the Territory of GENOA seems to be the most abandon­ed of Nature, but instead thereof, above all others, the most assisted by humane Industry: since among the dry sands of a barren Sea, and the high cliffs of craggy and bare Mountains, men have built one of the stateliest Cities in the Earth, filled it with magnificent Palaces, adorned it with pompous publick Structures, enriched it [Page 2] with exquisite Pictures, inestima­ble Statues, precious Furniture; planted about it the most delight­full Gardens of Europe, and in a word, seeing all that can con­tribute to Pleasure, and support Luxury, is there to be found in abundance: The truth is, he that casts his eyes upon the sumptuous palaces that make the New-street, and that of Balbi, must confess, that the meanest of them is fit to re­ceive the Greatest Prince in the World.

Its original.The City of Genoa is so ancient, that it is impossible to trace it to its original; some concluding from conjecture and some allusion of name,Janua. attribute the foundation thereof to Janus, tho in all ap­pearance that name hath been given it by the Latins, thereby to denote that it is the door of Italy. But whatever its beginning was, it is certain that in the time of the Commonwealth of Rome, [Page 3] it was the capital City of Liguria and under the protection of that Republick, seeing as Titus Livius reports, Genoa as an Allie of the Romans was destroyed by Mago Admiral of Carthage and Brother to Hannibal, Destroyed by Mago. during the second Pu­nick War, and that the Goverment thereof was continued to the Prae­tor Spurius Lucretius, that he might rebuild it, and repair the Ha­ven; which by his diligence he accomplished in the space of a year.

The same Livy relates that that fickle City with the rest of Liguria revolted against Rome, at the time when that Republick having de­stroyed Carthage, and subdued Africa, Greece, and Asia, was at the highest pitch of grandeur:Makes war a­gainst Rome. He says that in that defection the Ge­noese with Fourty thousand men attacked Pisa, that the Consul Mi­nutius had much adoe to defend it, that the War as being of great dan­ger [Page 4] and importance was managed against them by both the Consuls, that many bloody Battels were fought, in which the Ligurians had so great advantage, that Rome in extream consternation, was forced to appoint Prayers and Vows for the publick safety; which shews in what power Genoa was at that time.

It was at length absolutely re­duced under the dominion of Rome, and continued so under the Caesars, then under the Kings of the Herules or Goths, who Pos­sessed Italy; and afterwards under the Greek Emperours, and the Exarchs of Ravenna; Possessed by the Lombards. But the Lom­bards having utterly destroyed the Roman Empire in Italy, Assaul­ted, took and Sackt Genoa in the year 670. and that City remain­ed in their hands,Conquered by Charlemagne until Charle­magne having overcome Didier the last King of Lombardy, and made him Prisoner, conquered [Page 5] all Italy, whereof he made Pepin his Eldest son King, and gave the Government of Genoa to Count Ademar his Kinsman, who shortly after in the year 806. commanding the Fleet of which Charlemagne had made him Admiral, defeated the Saracens at Sea, and after a bloody Battel which he gained upon them in the Island of Corsica, wherein nevertheless he died, re­conquered that Island, which by that means was annexed to the State of Genoa, The union of the Island of Corsica to the state of Genoa. from which it hath never been separated since.

It is certain that after the Death of Charlemagne, Genoa and the Island of Corsica remained under the dominion of the French, of which Count Boniface was Governour for Louis the Debonnaire in the year 828. It is also certain that it fell to the share of Lotharius, eldest son of Louis the Debonnaire, with the rest of the States of Italy, and that his Successors peaceably enjoyed [Page 6] it; but after the Death of Charles the Gross which happened in the year 888. the Empire and King­dom of Italy were all of a sudden dismembred by the weakness of Charles the Simple, who was so far from reuniting all that belonged to his Crown, that to the Age of Twenty five years he had several Regents substituted to him with the Title of King.

These Usurpers that they might Peaceably enjoy what was within the Kingdom, shamefully suffered the Empire and the fair flowers of the State without to be invaded, and under their very Nose permit­ted Italy to be disputed and rent into pieces by the Wars which Louis, the Son of Bozon King of Provence had against Berenger, The French lose the State of Genoa. Son of Everard Duke of Frioli, who had caused himself to be Pro­claimed King of Italy in Pavia, whilst Guy Duke of Spoleto his competitour attempted the [Page 7] same thing in Padua, and so, many Princes having intruded into the States which Charlemagne had Conquered beyond the Alps, and having successively killed or dis­possessed one another, Genoa, Genoa falls to the first Pos­sessor. as all the rest, fell to him that could first possess it; so that du­ring the revolution which Provi­dence was preparing in France, in favour of Hugh Capet, the last Kings of the second race having their hands full on't by the affairs of Germany, and the maintaining their own Crown, divisions in­creased daily in Italy, Destroyed by the Saracens. and gave occasion to the Saracens to make a descent at Genoa, which they unexpectedly surprised in the year 936. sacked and burnt it, carry­ing away all that could be put on board their Ships; but they were met betwixt Corsica and Sardinia by the Fleet of the Genoese upon their return from cruising, and were engaged with so bad a success for [Page 8] the Infidels, that they were wholly defeated,Reestablished. the Slaves re­taken, and the City reestablished upon its ashes.

After that dismal desolation it continued during the space of 450. years,The uncertain state of Genoa. sometimes in an Anarchy, sometimes in a kind of Republican Government, and sometimes un­der the dominion of several Prin­ces. At length the People weary of the divisions which these chan­ges of State caused amongst their chief Citizens,Returns to the French. resolved to return under the dominion of the Kings of France, who were become law­ful Lords of Genoa from the time that Charlemagne reckoned it a­mongst his other Conquests.

The cause of that Revolution was, that in the year 1363. Simon Bocca negra Duke of Genoa having been Poisoned, Gabriel Adorno a Merchant of the faction of the Guelphs, was chosen to succeed him, and Governed seven [Page 9] years, until Dominico de Campo Fregozo a Merchant of the Gibel­line faction, displaced him the 13. of August 1370. and was installed in his place. That was the beginn­ing of the long Quarrel betwixt the Adorno's and Fregozo's, The Adorno's and Fregozo's divided. which during the space of 180. years held the City of Genoa in continual divisions and factions, which ended not but by the extinction of one of these Families, the Montaldo's and Guarco's who were very powerful, maintained the Fregozo's; and Antoniot Adorno, who having been Elected Duke, ex­pelled, and restored, in the years 1383. 1390. and 1392. was for the fourth time Master of the Re­publick in the year 1396. not thinking himself strong enough to maintain his Authority against his powerful Enemies, by the mediation of the Cardinal Louis of Fieschi and of Anthony Count of Lavagna his brother, with the uni­versal [Page 10] consent of all the Genoese made over to Charles VI.The resignati­on of Genoa to Charles VI. King of France, and his Successors, the Sovereign Lordship of the Republick, and of all the States that depend on it; the resignation was made by an Authentick Treaty of the 25. of October, and the 27. of November; the Arms of France were set up upon the Gates and the great Tower of the Palace; and in presence of all the People, Antoniot Adorno delive­red the Keys of the Gates and the Battoon of Command into the hands of the Kings Ambassadors, which were presently given back to him, as to the Governour for the King: That Treaty was put in execution,Confirmed with Charles VII. and afterwards con­firmed a second time, by all the Orders of the City of Genoa with Charles VII. in the year 1458. so that the Kings of France enjoyed it during an Age and a half,Its Rebellion by Andrew Doria. un­til the revolt of Andrew Doria [Page 11] made it rebel against Francis the first.

This happened in the year 1528. two years after the impri­sonment of that more valiant than fortunate King; and after that revolt,Aristocracy set­led in Genoa in the year 1528. they settled a kind of Aris­stocratical Government, which continues to this day, and which according to the model of that of Venice, admits of none but the Nobles to the administration of publick Affairs.

They chose twelve reformers for making new Laws,Laws concern­ing the Doge. the first of which was, that the Duke or Doge should continue but two years in office, that his Govern­ment should expire on the last of December. And that his authority might be the more stinted, it was added, that he could not be con­tinued; that after that day he should have no Power; that none of his Name and Family should be chosen immediatly after him, and [Page 12] that he himself could not again enter into that dignity till after the expiration of five years; that he be full fifty years of age, and have an allowance of Six thousand Livres a year, reduced since to Four thousand; that after his reign he should be perpetual Pro­curator of the Republick, if he committed no Fault in his Office; which should be examined by the Syndicks within 8. days after the conclusion of his administration.

The Government of Genoa consists of two Councils, the one called the great Council,Two Councils in Genoa. and the other the lit­tle, in both which the Doge Head of the Republick presides, who, as hath been said, is changed every two years, and hath always for his asses­sors twelve Senators, eight Procu­rators, and those who have carried the supream Dignity of Doge.

The great CouncilThe great Council. is made up of all the Nobles of the State in ge­neral, provided they be present, and [Page 13] two and twenty years of age com­pleat. These Gentlemen are about seven hundred in number, who constitute near an hundred and fifty Noble Familes, some of which are but the branches of others, or adopted into them. In this Coun­cil properly the Supream power resides, and of that number of se­ven hundred, the two hundred who constitute the little Council are yearly chosen: and in this manner the Election is made.

A few days before the new year begins, the Doge with the Senators,How the little Council is cho­sen. Procurators and the old Doges, assemble the little Council, which by Plurality of voices chuses thir­ty Nobles whom they look upon to be the best Citizens, most zea­lous for the publick Good, and in greatest Reputation for probity and honour, which thirty chuse out of the seven hundred Gentle­men of the great Council, the two hundred who are to make up the [Page 14] little Council for the year follow­ing, which begins the first of Ja­nuary, and it happens almost al­ways that those of the foregoing year are for most part continued, if there be no weighty cause nor se­cret reasons of State for excluding them; so that it may be said that the choice which at present they make, is onely for supplying the Places of those who are dead or absent, or who have been preferred to more considerable employ­ments.

I have told you that for presi­ding in those two Councils, the Doge had for Assessors twelve Se­nators and eight Procurators: They continue in Office two years, and every Six Months three Senators and two Procurators are substitu­ted in the Place of those that go out; the Election being performed in this manner.

The Election of Senators and Procura­tors.There is a box called the Semi­nary, wherein are the names of [Page 15] sixscore Gentlemen, of Fourty years of Age at least, in billets; and seeing there are a great many names yearly taken out either for filling the places of Senators, Pro­curators and sometimes of the Doge; or of those who die, or are taken up about other employ­ments, the number of these sixscore billets must yearly be made com­pleat;The box called the Seminary. and for that purpose in the beginning of June the little Council is called; and upon the report made to them of the number that is necessary to fill up the Seminary, every Gentleman of the little Council, proposes a Person fourty years old, whom he judges worthy to be put in, and amongst all those who are proposed, this Council chuses double the number of what is necessary for supplying the num­ber that is wanting in the box;How it is filled. and then that double number chosen by the little Council, is proposed to the great Council of seven hun­dred, [Page 16] which rejects one half and retains the other, whose names are put into the Lottery box. Out of this box every six months five names are taken by hazard, three for Senators, and two for Procurators: so that it may be said that the Government of that Re­publick depends wholly upon fortune, and that unfortunate merit and the honestest man of the State many times by the caprici­ousness of obstinate fate lies buri­ed in obscurity at the bottom of the box.

The Election of the Doge.The same fortune hath some share also in the election of the Doge, but in a different manner, because for the Senators Choice begins and Chance concludes, and for the Doge, Election compleats what Lot began. When the Doge hath finished his two years, the great Council meets, the number of those who compose it is taken, and as many little balls of equal [Page 17] bigness are put into a box, of which fifty are gilt, and the rest silvered over; Every one by a little hole through which the hand alone can pass without seeing, takes out one of these balls, and the fifty Gentlemen who have drawn the gilt balls, meet, and by scrutiny chuse twenty persons each Fifty years old at least; and then about those twenty chosen by scrutiny they go to a Vote; and by the Plurality of Voices five of them are rejected, and fifteen retained, who are proposed to the little Council, which out of these fifteen chuse six by the Plu­rality of voices; And of these six at length proposed to the great Council, he that hath most Voices is Doge; And it is to be obser­ved that as the Offices are equally divided betwixt the Ancient and new Nobility, so the Doge is taken alternatly out of both, so that if he be to day named from amongst the [Page 18] ancient Nobility, two years after he will be taken out of the new, and so successively.

The Doge with the twelve Senators represents the Prince, and enjoys the Supream autho­rity; He can do all that he is not expresly prohibited to do by law; with them he judges Suits betwixt Parties, or empowers others to judge, and can even rescind Testaments and Contracts.

With the Senators and Procu­rators, he administers the affairs of State, the Exchequer, Publick Revenues, and those things which by the Laws are referred to the cognizance of the Colledg of Pro­curators.

The Preroga­tives of the Doge.One of the great Prerogatives of the Doge, is the right that he hath of making the Propositions to the Council, which the Doge of Venice hath not; that right gives of him a powerful Authority,The right of Proposing. because if he perceive that the dispositions [Page 19] of the Council are not favourable to the matter in deliberation, he interrupts it, and brings another affair upon the Stage. It is he that gives Audiences, and or­ders them according to the pre­sence or absence of the friends of those whom he intends to favour or cross, chusing proper times and junctures to make them miscarry or succeed: and seeing he can propose the same affair three times, when he perceives some votes wanting, he so dextrously insinuates his intentions to the Council, that he always brings about some voices for obtaining the thing he intends.

Heretofore the Senators made use of the right which they had of proposing twice a month, and employed it for the service of their friends,Senators here­tofore had it. who could not obtain a favourable Audience of the Doge: but whether it be that the register of Priviledges hath been supprest, [Page 20] or that the Power of the Princes naturally advances in growth by the flattery or easy compliance of the rest, for some years no Senator hath made use of that Priviledg; a dangerous change and favoura­ble to those who aspire to that chief dignity; but the People and Nobles who are not in a condition of attaining to that, suffer it with extream discontent, yet dare not speak of it, for fear of an exclusion, and of being reckoned turbulent Persons who are better pleased with novelty than Justice; so that by a cowardly silence they are fain to purchase a share in the Go­vernment.

Weighty affairs are not resolved upon by the Doge and by these two Colledges; but for determi­ning them the little Council is cal­led; and when they are of great importance, the whole great Council meets, and when either of the two assemble, it must be in [Page 21] Presence of five Persons who have the Title of Conservators of the Laws,Conservators of the Laws. and whose office is to take heed that nothing be Acted con­trary to the Laws of the State.

There is another Magistracy consisting of seven Persons, called the Inquisitors of the State,Inquisitors of the State. which are as a Sentinel, to observe the dangers of the Republick, Factions, Conspiracies, and eve­ry thing that may be committed against the repose and tranquillity of the People: six others have the care of those things that relate to War,Other Magi­strates. five have the oversight of the Corn, five of the Galleys, five of the Shipping, five of the Walls, Harbours, Aqueducts and high Ways, and five more of the Mar­kets and Provisions.

The Inquisitors of the State, whom I just now mentioned, have not onely the care of the Publick Peace; but they have an Eye also over the conduct of Forreign Mi­nisters, [Page 22] and keep correspondences in the Courts of other Princes, where they entertain Spies who are not suspected, that give them intelligence not only of Intrigues that may concern their State, but of the conduct also of their own Ministers. The English, Venetians, Dutch, and Florentines have Consuls at Genoa for their Traffick, who give advice of the Affairs that may concern the States of their Masters, as Mon­sieur Compan was there for France; but Spain kept an Ambassadour there for encouraging their Party, who of late hath been changed into a Resident or Envoy; such was Villagarcia at present Am­bassadour at Venice. His Con­duct was very grateful to the Republick, and Coloma who suc­ceeded him hath not found the same Civilities, not onely by the refusal of the Honours that were rendered to his Predecessour, but [Page 23] also by an accident which de­serves to be known, and which I may very well take notice of by the by in this place.

The Governour of Milan up­on the complaint of the Patron of a Bark of Final, The misfor­tune of Colo­ma. a Creditor to some Genoese, against whom he could not have Justice from the Senat, caused all the effects be­longing to the Subjects of the Republick to be sequestrated; (for this is the way by which the Spaniards do themselves Justice) Coloma wrote to Spain to justifie the Sequestration;A trick of the Genoese. But the Ge­noese stop'd the Courier without the Gates, and having opened his Packet, suppressed his Let­ters, and counterfeited others in their place, which the Courier carried to Spain as sent from Co­loma. That is no difficult thing for them to do, because they al­ways entertain a Man skilful in counterfeiting all sorts of Wri­ting, [Page 24] whom they use upon oc­casion. He whom they have at present, is called Montiar­din, a Prisoner in the Tower of the Palace for many forge­ries he had done for private Persons; and he who rendered the same Office to the Repub­lick before him, was one named Caracciola who fled upon some discontents that he received; so that when they have a mind to undo any Man, they make use of such Forgeries, upon which they cause those who displease them to be arrested and clap'd up into Prison for several years, and that without any form of Justice; but by a formality of Matchiavilian Policy, which they call est informata conscientia. To return then again to Coloma, the forged Packet being come into Spain, it was believed to be his, and Orders were presently di­spatched to discharge the Seque­stration. [Page 25] The Governour of Mi­lan incensed against Coloma, whom he thought to be the real Au­thor of that Release, set so many Engines at work against him, that he hath got him to be re­called; and that unfortunate Minister could never discover the Cheat till he had lost his place at Genoa and his Credit at Court, where the Genoese are still so cunning as to render him su­spected of discovering the secrets of his Residence to Monsieur de Saint Olon Envoy of France.

The Protectors of the House or Bank of St. George, The bank of St. George. make a­nother Magistracy, or particular Court. It is a kind of Body independent of the Republick, and as a State within a State. This Bank which is governed by very laudable Constitutions, owes its Original to the publick neces­sities. It is a sacred depost of all the Wealth of the People, and [Page 26] in this manner it was establish­ed. The Treasure of the State having been exhausted by long and continual Wars;The establish­ment of the Bank of St. George. it was re­solved to borrow considerable sums of Money, and to engage for them the Revenues of the publick Impositions: so that in stead of assigning, as is usual in France, payments upon the duties of the Town, Genoa made over the duties themselves and other Rights to their Creditors, to the end they might receive them and reimburse themselves with their own hands. To faci­litate the execution of this, they were allowed to form amongst themselves a Council of four hundred Directors, to take out of this Council a Magistrate,Its Directors and Prote­ctors. eight Protectors and other infe­riour Officers, who take care to bring into the publick stock of St. George the Impositions assign­ed, and to make the distribu­tion [Page 27] of them amongst the Cre­ditors of the Republick accord­ing to their several Debts, with power to judg Sovereignly ac­cording to the Laws of the State, all Suits Civil and Criminal that arise upon that account, and the mutual Credit betwixt the Re­publick and that Bank is so pun­ctually observed, that what ne­cessity soever the State hath been reduced to, it was never propo­sed to meddle with these Sacred Revenues, and that the most Criminal Rebels, and Strangers in War with the Republick have alwayes been regularly payed the interest of their principal. A wise and politick Maxim that cannot be too much commended, and which hath so well main­tained that Bank, that the Money not onely of all the private Ge­noese, but also of an infinite number of Strangers has been put into it, and that its Money [Page 28] and Credit are inexhaustible. So true it is that publick Purses as well as private, cannot subsist but by a long experienced Inte­grity and Justice, and that when a Prince can once persuade his people of this honesty, all mens Coffers will open freely of themselves, when necessities do urge.

The Riches of the Genoese.Vast is the Riches which the Genoese have heaped up during a long Peace, and the continual good success of a well-setled Com­merce. Their wealth is proud in outward appearance, and their luxury prodigious; but that Re­publick is far more wealthy than strong, far more haughty than valiant, and it is easier to subdue it, than to make it a sincere Friend; because that people may become good and useful Sub­jects, but they will always be jealous and unsincere Neigh­bours. Poverty made them in­dustrious, [Page 29] Labour rendered them powerful and victorious at Sea; that Power settled their great Commerce, which brought them Wealth, and this introduced Lu­xury, Licentiousness and the ef­feminacy of Peace, wherein their dastardized Vertue hath for a long time languished. Their care is to swell their Revenues, their amusement and diversion to rear stately Palaces, and their delight to plant sumptuous Gardens, more fit for the reception of Kings, than of Merchants and Sea­faring Men. Nevertheless whilst the Subjects increase daily in Riches, the body Politick decays, its Dignity declines, and all its Grandeur at present consists in the pompous Attire, wherewith that people set off their Doge, and the imaginary pretensions that make them vie, if they could, with Crowned Heads, in all the Courts of Europe.

The Revenue of the Re­publick.Notwithstanding the prodigi­ous wealth of the Citizens, yet the constant Revenue of the Repub­lick, exceeds not eight hundred thousand Crowns a year. The truth is it might be improved to more, if the Governours were so faithful as not to employ to their private uses part of that which is imposed for publick necessities.

Its Charge.Upon that Revenue the Re­publick entertains three thousand Foot in constant pay, who in time of Peace are sufficient to garrison the places not onely of the main Land, but also of the Island of Corsica.

The next Charge of the Re­publick, is the constant main­taining of six Galleys, which a­mounts to ten thousand Crowns a year a piece. They have since armed four new ones, but the fund for maintaining them is set­led upon extraordinary imposi­tions. [Page 31] The two Residents which they entertain in France and Spain cost them twelve thousand Crowns a year; but the greatest charge is employed in the main­taining of two Rota's or Courts of Justice, the Civil and Crimi­nal, their Chancellours, Secreta­ries or Clarks, Judges of the Sea-coasts and Isle of Corsica, Officers and other inferiour Ministers of Justice, who, as in other States, are of a prodigious number, a grievance to the people, and an abuse that cannot be too much reformed.

The remaining part of the Revenue is employed for the charges of forein Ministers, and paying the interest of bor­rowed Money put into their Chambers, such as the Chamber of St. John Baptist, and the Cham­ber of St. Bernard, which are much like to the Chamber of the City of London; And all [Page 32] these Charges being defrayed, if any surplus remain, it is divided amongst the Doge and the more powerful Senators and Nobles, who so order matters by their secret Intrigues and close Combi­nations that they always govern the Republick successfully, and impropriate to themselves the Places and Offices, to the exclu­sion of all the rest.

Besides the vast Wealth that renders the Capital one of the richest Cities of Europe; The people have been so industrious in cultivating their Lands, that they enrich the Inhabitants by the plentiful crops of Corn, Fruit, Oil and Wine, which both the Riviera's produce; for so they call the Coasts of Liguria to the East and West of the City of Genoa.

Prodigious quantities of Oils.The truth is, to the West-side the Territories alone of Dian, Porto Moriso and Vintimiglia, in [Page 33] good years yield above four hundred thousand Tun of these sweet and precious Oils, which are the delights of the North, and the provision of Italy, so that one year with another the profit of them is valued at eight hundred thousand Pistols a a year.

The prodigious plenty of Ci­trons,Abundance of Citrons and Oranges. Limons and Oranges which are yearly gathered in the Ter­ritory of San-Remo, is greater than can be believed: England and Holland load whole Fleets with them; the Lombards buy them, they are transported into Germany, and an infinite number of Families live and grow rich by the sale onely of the Flowers. They who coast along the shore by these delicious Forrests of Ci­tron and Limon-trees, have not onely their Eyes diverted by the surprising prospect of a verdure always fresh, and agreeably ming­led [Page 34] with the Or and Argent of the Fruit and Flowers, but a breeze from the Land conveys to them also so fragrant a smell, that it would seem Nature had there summoned together all her Per­fumes for the delight of Tra­vellers.

Wines of Taggia.The Muscat Wines which grow in the Territory of Taggia, are so esteemed all over Italy, and especially at Rome, that they are the dainties of the most de­licate Tables, and that rich Vil­lage is filled with wealthy Con­tadini, who shew the vast Estates which their Forefathers have rai­sed onely from their Grapes and Raisins.

Sestry and Veltry.On the same Riviera to the West are Sestry di Ponente and Veltry Colonies of rich Mer­chants, who by the Trade of Spain and America have got pro­digious Wealth; and at Vel­try are those Paper-Mills which [Page 35] make the finest and whitest Paper of Europe.

Aranza, Aranza. a small inconsiderable Borough sometime ago had got into so vast a Trade, that there were no less than threescore Mer­chant Ships that belonged to it, and plied the Trade of Africa, the Levant and Spain. The truth is, the Corsaires of Barbary having disturbed their Traffick, their Fleet hath been diminished, and reduced to a small number of Vessels; so that at present they have no more than ten or twelve Ships from forty to sixty pieces of Cannon, wherewith they fol­low their Traffick.

The rest of the Riviera to the Westward lying nearer the City, is destined more for pleasure than profit; for there it is that the rich Genoeses have built their Country Houses, where they spend the pleasant time of the Summer and Autumn: And [Page 36] there are so many Palaces and de­lightful Gardens to be seen there, that a great Cardinal speaking of St. Peter d' Arenes, of its situation, and the magnificence of its buildings, said that a Prince ought either to live in Heaven or in that place.

The Riviera to the East a­bounds in Wines, which are suf­ficient to supply the State, and produces plenty of extraordinary good Oil: Oranges and Citrons abound not there so much as at San Remo, but they are better: and the Inhabitants of that Coast are not so rich, because they are of a more warlike and less mer­cenary disposition.

The State of Genoa on that side reaches to La Magra, La Magra se­parates the State of Genoa from Tuscany. Sarzana and Sarzanella. which divides it from Tuscany. The first place of Strength is Sarzana, situated in a fertile Plain. It is defended by a great Ditch, and a Wall, with an antient Castle [Page 37] flanked with four Towers. And Sarzanella is a Fort upon an ad­joyning Hill, which wholly com­mands Sarzana. It was built by Castruccio, who made himself Master of the City of Luca: but after his death, the Mareschal of Boucicaut Governour of Genoa received it in name of Charles VI. of France. The Dukes of Milan possessed it afterwards, and made it over to Thomas de Campo Fre­goso, who transacted with the Florentines for it: And Charles the Eighth having made himself Master of Florence, became so also of Sarzana and Sarzanella, and made the Bastard of Brienne Governour thereof; who per­ceiving the Affairs of Italy going to wrack, resolved to make his private advantage of them, and without Orders from the King his Master, sold them to the Genoese, who by virtue of that illegal Contract, usurped them, [Page 38] and have held them in possession till this present.

Next to Sarzana is Lerice Lerice. built at the foot of the Rocks, upon a point of Land, from whence it hath no prospect but towards the Sea, and discovers the Gulf delle Spetie, Gulf delle Spetie. of which it defends one of the Entries. Opposite to that on the other point of the Gulf is Porto-Venere, Porto-venere. and a little far­ther in, on the same side stands the Fort St. Marie, Fort S. Marie. which de­fends the whole compass thereof. The mouth of that Gulf then, is reckoned from Lerice to Porto-Venere, and betwixt the two are two little Islands which take up a great part of that Mouth, and leaving onely an entry to the East on the side of Lerice, and another to the West on the side of Porto-Venere, cover the Gulf, and defend it from the Southern Winds; which renders it the most commodious, as it is the most [Page 39] spacious of all the Havens of the Mediterranean; in so much that there is no Royal Fleet but may securely lie there.

In those two Islands which are in the mouth of the Gulf,The Islands in the mouth of the Gulf. there is black Marble dug of extraor­dinary beauty and fineness; it is full of Veins that look and shine like the purest Gold; and there is some found there as variously coloured as the Porphyrian Marble of the East. In the middle of this Gulf, as by a miracle of Nature,A wonderful Fountain. springs a Fountain of fresh water, which through the salt Waters rises to the Surface, and spreads it self as it were into a large Basin, from which fresh Wa­ter may be taken, without any necessity of going ashoar to fetch it on board of Ships.

La Spetia which is at the bot­tom of the Gulf, and which hath given it the name, belonged here­tofore to the Counts of Fieschi. [Page 40] The Republick of Genoa that sei­zed it, about thirty years since or thereabouts caused a Cart-way to be made,A way begun. which crossing all the Lands of the Counts of Fie­schi reaches to the bourg of Val­detaro, heretofore a Principality of the same Counts, and at pre­sent possessed by the Duke of Parma. The Republick made that Way in hopes, nay and up­on the Promise which the Duke of Parma made to them, of con­tinuing it to Fornova, or of per­mitting the Genoese to do it at their charges, which afterwards they might be reimbursed of by the Tolls that should be settled in several places. Their design was to draw by that way to the Port della Spetia all the Trade of Legorne: And the truth is that place is far more proper for a Staple, than any other place whatsoever of the Mediterrane­an. The English and Dutch Mer­chants [Page 40] desired it, not onely be­cause of the security and com­modiousness of the Port, but also because they could more con­veniently unload their Commo­dities there for Parma, Modena, Bologna, and all Lombardy, and by the Po convey them into the State of Milan, Montferrat, Man­toua, and the States of Venice, Ferrara and the patrimony of St. Peter, which without doubt would have been very profitable to the Duke of Parma. But the late great Duke,The great Duke hinders the compleat­ing of it. one of the wisest Princes of Europe, pre­vented the Genoese. And seeing the Duchess of Parma, his Sister governed the State during the minority of her Son, he engaged her not to suffer that way to be continued in the Lands of the State of Parma. The Genoese being netled at that politick A­ction of the Great Dukes, to be revenged, and with design to [Page 42] vex him, resolved to buy the Principality of Pontremoli, Pontremoli. which the Spaniards possessed, having usurped it upon the Counts of Fieschi. That Principality is con­tiguous to La Spetia; and by that means the Genoese might have cut off from the Duke of Tuscany the way of sending his goods from Legorn into Lom­bardy, by laying great Impositi­ons upon all that pass'd that way. But the Great Duke a Man of more ability and cunning than the Genoese, who have much ado to agree in their resolutions, and are always slow in the executi­on of them,Bought by the great Duke. prevented them a­gain: and though they were got into the possession of that State, which they had morgaged from the Governour of Milan, for eight hundred thousand Crowns in ready Money, with a clause of ratification on the part of the King of Spain; yet the Great [Page 43] Duke caused the Affair to be ne­gotiated directly at Court, and purchased that Principality in Fee without Reversion, for the sum of twelve hundred thousand Crowns in ready Money, where­of eight hundred thousand were employed for the reimbursement of the Genoese, who had onely bought it in Morgage; And the other four hundred thousand Crowns went into the Exchequer of Milan, and served to the re­gaining of Tortona from the French, and the defending of Lombardy against them. The Genoese who discovered the trick that the Governour had put up­on them, and knew that he had kept by him a whole year the ratification of their Treaty, that he might give the Great Duke leisure during that time to sup­plant them, were upon the point of breaking with the Spaniards: but the cunning of the Gover­nour, [Page 42] [...] [Page 43] [...] [Page 43] and the private interest of the chief members of the Re­publick, put a stop to the fer­mentation of their bad humours; And though they were ill satis­fied with Spain and the Great Duke, yet they continued quiet, and gave no vent to their resent­ment.

Upon that Coast to the East are Rimaggio, The East Coast. Manerola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso, Levanto, Bonasola, Framura, Deina, Mo­neglia, and other Lands in the Mountains, all abounding in most excellent Wines, Oil, Figs, Citrons, and Oranges.

Sestri. Sestri di Levante is upon that Riviera: It is a Town built up­on a Tongue of Land, betwixt a Strand and a Port: it belong­ed to the Counts of Fieschi; and might be rendered considerable for the passage into Lombardy. Adjoining to that is Cucurno, which belonged to the Counts [Page 44] of the same name of Cucurno, who having made it over to the Republick of Genoa, by a cruel revolution of Fortune are become so miserable, that they are at present reduced to the gaining of a living by Fishing, and Seafa­ring.

From Sestri forwards the Coast is surprisingly beautiful; and the lower Mountains are more easily cultivated, producing with won­derful profusion what ever the Inhabitants please to demand of the Earth.

There lies Lavagna, Lavagna be­longed to the Counts of Fieschi. the An­cient Inheritance of the Counts of Fieschi, who have always carried the Title of it since the year nine hundred ninety four, though the Republick hath out­ed them. Chiavari, Rapallo, San­ta Marguareta, and Porto fini come next, after which we find Caniogli, Bogiasio, abounding in Oil, and Nervi, which is rich [Page 46] in Roses that blow all the year long.

The King of Spain's Debts.The publick Riches of the People consist in many things; The Kings of Spain owe them a­bove thirty Millions of Gold, the first of which Debts were con­tracted by Philip the Second up­on a very politick account, that by that bit of Gold he might curb a People naturally incon­stant. These Debts or Actions were by the Spaniards assigned upon divers Librances or Rights, as they call them, but in such a manner that it is difficult to exact the payment of them, or indeed the profit, so that most part have been forced to aban­don the Principal.

The Genoese being disappoint­ed of the fair dealing which they expected from Spain in relation to their Debts, have taken other measures, and put their Money into the Banks of Rome, Venice, [Page 47] Flo­rence, Milan, Naples and Sicily, and have purchased considerable Lands within these States, where they have laid out great sums for Inheritances or Morgages, from whence they draw several mil­lions of Rent; They have also many in the Town Hall of Paris and in the Bank of Lyon.

It is to be observed that the Spaniards by a quaint piece of Policy giving the Genoese the in­vestiture of Fiefs and Lands which they have acquired in the States subject to the Catholick King,Spanish Policy. do it upon condition that they sell them not to any but to Ge­noese; that so they may always have a hank over them as over Vassals, and hinder them from transferring the price of these Fiefs any where else; And that's the thing which unites them more closely both in interest and inclination to Spain, according to the Maxim, That where a [Page 47] Man's Treasure is, there is his Heart also.

The Ports of the State.The four most considerable Ports of this State upon the main Land, are that of Genoa, wonder­ful through industry; Savona, which is at present filling up; Vado, by the Provencals called Vaye; and the Gulf delle-Spetie, which is the largest and securest Port of all the Mediterranean.

The Port of Genoa, one of the Wonders of the World, is the most considerable and most fre­quented: Art hath rendered it safe and commodious by two vast and stately Moles of hard Stone, which encompass a large extent of Sea, and cover it from the South-wind. These two prodi­gious Walls have cost incredible sums of Money; and to defend them against the beating of the Sea; there is a strong Rampart made before them of rocky stones of extraordinary bigness, which [Page 49] have been rolled and cast in hab nab at random; so that sloping naturally of themselves, they face the Mole at Water-mark and break the violence of the Waves, which by that means can­not damnifie the Wall. On the contrary, the Sea it self in its continual agitations, to second that Master-piece of humane in­dustry, drives daily in great heaps of Sand against that pile of Rocks, and mingles those with them in such a manner, that not onely it makes a second solid comport against its own fury, but also spreading its banks of Sand, prepares insensibly a road without, which in time will prove one of the best of the Mediter­ranean.

This Port within begins to dry towards the Land, by the filth and dirt that the common Sewers bring to it. It would not be difficult to fill it up as [Page 50] far as the mouth of the Darsena, and joyn that great space to the City which would much enlarge it: And on the other hand by carrying further out on each side the two Arms whith the old and new Moles stretch out into the Sea, the Harbour of Genoa might by that means be rendered one of the largest, most stately and safe Ports in the World; For the wide opening which is betwixt the two Moles, as they are at pre­sent, leaves too much Sea expo­sed to the rage of the South, South-east and South-west winds, so that Vessels cannot lie opposite to the mouth of the Harbour when any of these Winds blow hard.

The Darsena I mentioned, is a little Harbour within, which can hold five and twenty Gal­leys, as in a box. It might ea­sily be made twice as big, by breaking down a Wall which di­vides [Page 51] it from another bosom of the Sea, called the Darsena of Wine, because the Barks that bring it put in there.

The Sea Arsenal hath great shades and Coverts,The Arsenal. where twen­ty Galleys may be built at a time. And the Arsenal of Arms, which is in the Ducal Palace, is always furnished with Arms for forty thousand Foot. The Ma­gazines of Powder are well pro­vided; but they entertain no more Soldiers ordinarily than the three thousand Men I spake of.

Having surveyed the main Land, we must now give a de­scription of the Isle of Corsica. The Isle of Corsica. It lies in a very good Climate, betwixt the fortieth and two and fortieth degree of North lati­tude. It is in circuit one hun­dred and fifty French Leagues. That part which looks to Italy, and which they call Banda di den­tro, [Page 52] is less cultivated than the rest All that this Island produces is excellent; exquisite Wines and delicate Oil: it yields also Silk, Wax, Honey and all sorts of Fruits in abundance. It hath Iron Mines, two salt Pits, and a good breed of Horses might be kept there: but for all that this Country is so fertile;Dispeopled by the Genoese. the Ge­noese do what they can to render it almost desart and abandoned, for two reasons: First, because they think that if the People grew numerous and powerful, they would revolt against them: And secondly, that they may not excite Strangers to invade an Island which they endeavour to render contemptible, that they make it to be less envied. There are not reckoned to be upon it at present above one hundred thousand Souls; but it might easily admit and maintain six times as many. It is divided [Page 53] into six Bishopricks,Hath six Bi­shopricks. reduced in to five, by the union of the Bi­shoprick of Mariana to that of Accia: Aleria, Aiazzo, Nebbio and Sagona are the other four.

The considerable parts of it are Calvi, Aiazzo, Boniface, St. Florent, and Porto-vecchio, and the Genoese have made at Bastia the ordinary residence of the Governour, a Mole capable to contain four Galleys under cover. St. Florent was a work of the French fortified before the Peace of Chasteau Cambresis: The Ge­noese have demolished it; but the foundations of Free-stone are still remaining, so that it might easily be raised again; and if a descent were to be made upon the Island, there is no place more commo­dious, not onely by reason of its situation on the West side; but also because it is but three Leagues distant from Bastia the Capital Town of the Island, op­posite [Page 54] to it, and seated on the Coast which looks to Italy on the East side.

The Territory of Aiazzo Aiazzo. a­bounds in Wine, Corn and in all sorts of fruit.

Cape-Corfe. Cap Corfe produces excellent Wine, and the people of this Countrey, are the civilest and most peaceable of all the rest of the Island.

Balagna, which is called the Garden of of Corsica, yields the excellentest Oil in the World, and exquisite fruits of all kinds.

Bastia. Bastia, the residence of the Governour, hath a good, rich and fertile Soil. There are thir­ty thousand Souls reckoned to be in it, the Town has a good Trade and is well govern­ed. There is good Hunting and better Fishing about it, by reason of the many Lakes and Ponds that are near the same.

On Alerie Alerie. that is destroyed and Porto-vecchio depend large Lands, which are partly uncultivated, though they be fit to bear all sorts of Corn. The great quan­tity of standing dead Water that is there, incommodes the Air, and makes that Country almost abandoned. There Colonies ought to be planted for draining the Fens, and labouring a fat and fertile soil, which alone might feed all Liguria, that hath so little Corn, that it is forced to supply it self from Lombardy, Sicily, and many times from A­frica: That draining would be easie, and the Genoese have seen a proof of it, since they brought thither a hundred Families of Magnote Greeks, a people neigh­bouring upon Morea, who have much advanced Husbandry in the place where they have set­led; but that number is not suf­ficient for a corner of all these [Page 56] great Countries, which labour and industry would render most fruitful, if men enough were em­ployed to compass so good a work: a thing that would be easie by dividing all these Lands into inheritances of different Te­nures and qualities, to be grant­ed upon condition of settling a certain number of Families there­in, sowing of Corn, planting Vines and Olive Trees, and e­specially quantities of Mulberry Trees for Silks. By that means of a despicable Island, it might be made one of the richest Pro­vinces in the World.

Woods of Aitona. Aitona is famous for the vast Forrests, and innumerable Trees that grow upon the Mountains thereof, and which are of a big­ness and quality, not onely for building of Houses, but also for building and masting all sorts of Vessels: These Mountains make a chain of some Leagues in length; [Page 57] And the Forrest would never be consumed, provided it were or­derly cut: the Timber even cut in the new Moon alters not, and is of a particular grain. The Ge­noese who have found the impor­tance of this, have employed an hundred thousand Crowns, to plain a way upon the ridg of the Mountains, which from the For­rest reaches to the Sea-shore, where they have built great Ma­gazines, for preparing the Tim­ber, keeping it dry and preser­ving it. There is very good fish­ing for Tunnys there, and abun­dance of Coral; which if well looked after, might turn to a considerable account. There are two salt Pits also in the Island, but the Republick slights them through a Politick condescension to the Spaniards.

Salt is a sacred Commodity,The Salt. which People cannot be without, and whereof some Princes make [Page 58] their ordinary Revenues: that E­lement of life, as necessary as Corn: that Manna, which seasons all our food, to defend us from corruption; that source of all the delights of the Taste, is one of the pillars that in many States upholds the publick Treasure: It costs but little at first, but people pay dear for it. And ge­nerally Kings, and Republicks have imposed severe punishments upon those, who by a greedy rashness attempt in that parti­cular to avoid and frustrate the Laws. Genoa draws a conside­rable duty from Salt, because that City furnishes not onely all the State; but likewise Milan and all Lombardy with it. It is a great branch of the Revenue, and the House or Bank of St. George to whom the Gabel is engaged,The Gabell belongs to the Bank of St. George. has the administration thereof, which is performed with much order and Economy. But the Genoese [Page 59] might, without exacting, double the profit of it, because they load their Salt at Yvyca, where the Spaniards sell it them dear, and from whence they import it at great charges; whereas by re-e­stablishing the two salt Pits of the Island of Corsica which they slight,Salt Pits in Corsica. that they may not dis­please the Spaniards, they might have it of their own, and at home: nay, if instead of going to load at Yvyca, they would come and take their Salt at the Hiere Isles, much nearer them, it would cost them far less both in the purchase and transporta­tion. This hath been several times proposed by some Genoese to the Great Council; but the Spanish Cabal hath always by a mystery of State hindered the resolution, though acknowledged to be advantageous.

Since I have fallen upon the matter of Salt, it will not be im­pertinent to speak of that which the French King would have con­veighed from the Hiere Isles to Montferrat for supplying of Ca­zal and the Forces which he maintains there, who are not used to the Salt of the Country which is inferiour to that of France.

The demand of a Magazine of Salt at Savona.This King demanded of the Genoese the setling of a Magazine of Salt at Savona. They excu­sed themselves to his Majesty, because all things are carrried in the Council of Genoa by the influence of the Spaniards.

They have gone farther; for being persuaded that the commo­diousness of the Port of Savona put the King upon making that de­mand,The Port of Savona filled up. they have quite spoil'd it: And as Andrew Doria began heretofore to render it less use­ful, by sinking two great Vessels [Page 61] full of Earth in the mouth of it, so they have set Masons at work to wall up the Entry, and wholly to fill it up. And in the manner they spoil it, it will be almost impossible to restore it again. But there is a shorter way to have a place upon the Sea Coast for unloading of Salt, making a Magazine, and transporting it to Montferrat; There needs no more but to back the just pre­tensions of the Counts of Fieschi, for the restitution of his Estates. The Marquisat of Laon, Laon. which borders upon the limits of the Marquisat of Montferrat, is one of the chief Lands usurped from them: it is a little Town by the Sea-side, with a stately Castle, possessed by the House of Doria, since Andrew Doria took it from those Counts. It is walled round, and seated upon an easie descent that reaches the shore. It con­tains about three thousand Souls; [Page 62] and may be easily fortified: It hath no Harbour, but the Road is good; and by the help of a little Mole there might be easily made a Haven sufficient for the unloading of Salt, which might be carried as soon from Laon to Cazal, as if the Magazine were at Savona; And for having it, the King needs onely to require that Justice and Restitution may be made to the Count of Fieschi, and that the restitution begin by that Marquisat of Laon, which may be bought from him.

Upon that Coast two Leagues from Laon is Albegna, a strong place and well situated, where by the help of a little Isle that is opposite to it, and a Mole, which on the East-side might joyn the Island to the main Land; one of the best Ports of Europe might be made, which would make Montferrat reach as far as the Sea, supply it with the Salt [Page 63] of the Hieres without any need of Savona, and facilitate the tran­sportation of Forces by Sea, with­out being obliged to march them through Savoy, which in the re­volution of time may prove not so faithful to France as it is at present. All that is to be done then, is onely to make the Re­publick restore to the Counts of Fieschi the Estates that lawful­ly belong to them, and which could not be confiscated for the reasons that are solidly alledged in their second Petition.

Genoa is an Arch-bishoprick,Genoa an Arch-bisho­prick hath eleven Suf­fragans. which hath eleven Suffragan Bi­shops; six in the Continent, Brugneto and Sarzana to the East; Savona, Noli, Albegna and Vin­timiglia to the West; and five in the Island of Corsica as we have mentioned before. No Man is promoted to Episcopal Dignity, unless he be a Genoese, or of the State of Genoa, and the Arch-bishop [Page 64] must be of a noble Fa­mily, who is nominated by the Pope. The Cathedral Church called St. Laurence hath given to the Church, Popes, Cardinals and Bishops.The Chapter of St. Lau­rence. The Chapter hereto­fore decided all Controversies that happened betwixt the Arch-bishop and the Senate: and it was in so great reputation, that Rome esteemed its decisions no less than France does those of the Sorbone: but since the Senate hath arrogated to it self the ho­nours of Royalty, and forced the Arch-bishop to take his place on the side of the Epistle, tran­sporting thither his Episcopal Chair, to make room for the Doge on the side of the Gospel; the Chapter hath clashed with the Senate, who to depress the Ca­nons have raised and maintained against them certain Chaplains, founded in that Church by the Counts of Fieschi who cross them in all things.

Besides that, the Senate hath erected a new Tribunal consist­ing of six Monks and three Se­nators, which they call the Ec­clesiastick Juncto. Rome hath com­plained of it, as belonging to her alone to establish Ecclesiastical Courts in Italy. But the Senate believed they might satisfie the Pope, by changing the name of that Tribunal, and calling it the Juncto of Jurisdiction. The Juncto of Jurisdiction. The Re­publick is guided by it in the Affairs of Conscience. The Monks that constitute it are of the Or­der of Mendicants, and enjoy great priviledges, being exempt­ed from the Quire, and conven­tual Offices, well-lodged with a Lay-Brother to attend them, and a double allowance; go out and in without their Superiours leave, and have besides a Pension for their private occasions. The way how they give their Opi­nions, is a mere Mummery: their [Page 66] Judgment is not set down in wri­ting; but when they have given it by word of mouth, the three Senators are to make report there­of to the Chancellour; and they turn the Report as they please, and very often quite contrary to the Sentiment of the Monks.

The Inquisi­tion.The Court of Inquisition is a­nother piece of Pageantry, in the way they manage it. The In­quisitor is sent from Rome, who is a Dominican Monk, with a Se­cretary and Companion. These three Fathers make up the Inqui­sition, and can judg absolutely; but nothing is put in execution but by express orders from the Senate, which never gives them. The Inquisitor exclaims and vexes himself; but if his Complaints sound too loud, the Senate sends him packing, under pretext of reason of State, and as turbulent.

There is no Religion but the Catholick, professed at Genoa. [Page 67] Since the time that St. Nazaras and St. Celsus preached the Go­spel there, no Heresie hath there taken footing: And for that con­stancy in the true faith, and the Wars they have had against Infi­dels, the body of the State rec­kon it one of their priviledges, that they cannot incur an Inter­dict, nor general Excommunicati­on, no not from the Holy See,Genoa cannot be excommu­nicated. if in the excommunication his Ho­liness mention not the priviledg, and expresly derogate from it.

That priviledg was granted them by Pope Innocent IV.Innocent IV. of the Family of Fresque. of the House of Fieschi, who being be­sieged in Gajetta, with the whole College of Cardinals by Frede­rick II. was delivered by James and Nicolas Fieschi's his Nephews, to whom Genoa lent them Galleys for that important Expedition; So that these two Nephews ma­king a shew of going against the Moors of Africa, put back to shoar [Page 68] again of a sudden; and coming to Gajetta, took on board the Pope and Cardinals, and carried them to Genoa, and from thence to France, where the Pope in presence of St. Louis celebrated the Council of Lyon, The Council of Lyon. wherein Fre­derick the second was declared fallen from the Empire, and ano­ther chosen in his place.

The religious Mendicants have stately Churches in Genoa, and every Order hath two or three. The Jesuits keep the publick Schools, and have extraordinary credit with the Nobility. The Senate are pious in appearance, but in reality Machiavilians, with a fair outside of Religion, but little correspondence to it within; being proud, revengeful, irreconcileable, cruel, and glory­ing in Usury; saying that they have a Bull from the Pope, (which no man ever saw) which allows them to take Interest at seven in [Page 69] the hundred, and a good pledg besides.

There are twenty four Frater­nitiesFraternities. established in Genoa: and there is not one Genoese who is not enrolled in one or other of these Fraternities: so that it may be said, that under pretext of Devotion, there are twenty four factions in Genoa, who still feed that secret rancour which hereto­fore divided the State into Guelphs and Gibellins, under the names of the Adorno's, and Fregozo's, and which is still entertained betwixt the Fieschi's and other Families; the Fregoso's being Guelphs, and the Adorno's Gibellins: And as a mark of distinction betwixt those two parties, the Fregozo's both Men and Women wear their Hair and Posies on the right side, and a Turky blew; and when they pro­mise any thing, they hold up the Thumb, and close the Fist: where­as the Adorno's wear their Hair [Page 70] on the left side; put their Posies there, and delight in green; and when they assure any thing, they point out the Fore-finger, and close the rest of the Hand. The A­dorno's are of the Spanish facti­on, and the Fregozo's who are in­feriour in number, incline to the French. Nevertheless, the Nobi­lity of late have withdrawn from these Fraternities, and leave the people onely engaged in them, whom they are willing to have divided into many little facti­ons, that they may not unite against the Nobility.

I forgot to tell, that there is a Court, which is called the Court of the Arsenal, The Court of the Arsenal. consisting of five Gentlemen and a Chancellour. Their care is to cause Galleys to be built, and to have always a certain number ready to be put to Sea.Excellent building of Galleys. The structure of them is excellent, the Workmen very skil­ful, and the work perfectly good. [Page 71] And to the end that the building of Galleys may not cost the Re­publick much, they always build many more than they need; and the sale of those that are super­fluous supplies the charge of those which are necessary. And hence it is that the Squadrons of Spain, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia, are made up of Galleys built in the Arsenal of Genoa. And that the prohibition made to them by M. de St. Olon, on the part of the French King, hath strangely stun­ned them, through the appre­hension of being obliged to dismiss so many able Artists that work in their Arsenal.

They have also established a­nother Court,The Court of the borders. which they call the Court of the Borders, to take heed that none of the Subjects of the Republick, nor neighbouring Prin­ces, undertake any works upon the Rivers, such as Milns, Dykes, or Canals, that may be prejudicial to the Publick.

Besides the Revenue that I have mentioned, there is a certain pub­lick stock, which is called the Peculio, Peculio. and is a Cash yearly re­served and put apart for urgent necessities. No man whatsoever can know what it amounts to; that's a secret reserved for the perpetual Procurators, the know­ledg of it being kept even from the ordinary Procurators; be­cause they who manage the Pecu­lio are accountable to no man, which hath made it to be belie­ved that they appropriate it to themselves, as they do the Rents of certain Farms.

The Govern­ment as to Provisions.The Genoese have an admirable Government as to the regulation of Provisions and Victuals; that the People may have plenty and at cheap Rates. Their conduct in that particular deserves not onely to be commended, but also imi­tated by all Princes: and especi­ally as to Corn and Wine, which [Page 73] are as the two Poles on which the life of man turns. They take particular care to have always a sufficient quantity of both to sup­ply the whole City for two years compleat.

As to the Corn,As to Bread. they take this course: They have publick Gra­naries, which are four great square Houses, with several vaulted sto­ries one over another in each, which are so many different Gra­naries; and which for greater se­curity are enclosed with a Wall that hath but one Gate well guar­ded. All these Granaries together can hold a sufficient quantity of Corn to supply the Town for three years; and as one is empti­ed, another is filled; with this prudent care, that if it be a plen­tiful year and the Corn cheap, the Granaries are filled double: and if the year be barren, and the Corn very dear, they spend the time with the former Provision, [Page 74] and wait till the following year to fill them again: So that it is not to be thought strange, if by so wise a conduct the Bread is no dearer at one time than at ano­ther; the People being never sen­sible of the barrenness of the Earth, which by divine Providence hath never for two years together refused to man his sustenance.

Out of these publick Grana­naries all the Bakers are obliged to buy their Corn, with which they supply the people with bread: and they are prohibited under severe Penalties to buy it elsewhere. Private Persons ne­vertheless are permitted to bake their own bread at home; but since bread is at a very reasonable rate, the Republick being content with a moderate profit, few give themselves the trouble of making particular provisions, besides that the Republick sets a price upon the Corn according to the plenti­fulness [Page 75] of the Crop, and none can buy, till the publick Granaries be first supplied: And when there is a scarcity in Liguria, the Magi­strate appointed for the regulati­on of Provisions, causes Corn to be brought from Sicily, or Africa, to be put into the publick Gra­naries, that the crop of the Coun­try may be for the use of the Country People, the other Towns and private Families.

As to Wine,As to Wine. every private Per­son is allowed to furnish himself, and freely to buy for his provi­on; but no person whosoever in Genoa dares to sell or retail it out, no not Vintners and they who keep Victualling Houses; The Republick reserves to itself alone, the right of selling Wine by re­tail, and for the more convenient distribution thereof, there is in every quarter a publick Cellar al­ways full of Wine of two different prices, which never rise nor fall.

Fondaqui, publick Cel­lars.They call these publick Cellars Fondaqui, over every one of which an Overseer is put, to whom the Wine is delivered upon account, and who brings the Money that it is sold for to the publick Cash. He is strictly prohibited not to after the Wine, either by ming­ling one sort with another, or ad­ding Water; strict inspection is taken into that; and they are not onely punished by great Fines, but are sent to the Galleys; so that there is seldom any complaint made of them. The Cellars are filled as fast as they are emptied; and the provision is always for two years.

Though this Policy as to Wine seems to be somewhat inconve­nient, and that it would seem that Princes who have consider­able duties from the retail of Wines in Taverns ought not to approve it, nevertheless it hath certainly its advantages, not only [Page 78] because it prevents Drunkenness, and the disorders which attend it; but also because the profit which the Republick draws from the re­tailing of Wine, comes clear into the publick stock; whereas the duties that in other places are raised from Vintners, pass through so many Hands, and to the profit of so many Leeches, before they come to the publick Treasury, that the Prince receives but a very small share of the profit of that Imposition; besides that thereby the adulterations and poisonings of Wine by the Wine-Coopers and Vintners are pre­vented.

Money is reckoned at Genoa by Livres and Sols; The Money, but the 20 s. of Genoa are worth but 12 s. of France: and so the sous of Ge­noa is but worth seven Deniers of France, and a fifth Denier; by that reason a French Crown and Patacoon are there worth five Li­vres; [Page 80] And a Louis-d'or, is there valued at 18. 6. s. 8. den. That's to say three Louis d'ors, are there worth fifty five Livres Genoese Money.

They Coin certain pieces of Silver, which they call Genuines, Genuines. that are worth seven Livres of their Money, which are four Liv. 4 s. of France: they are of a very fine allay, being of eleven De­niers and six grains fine, and the neighbouring States melt them down for Coining their Money which is of a baser Standard.

They have four different Pistols, which pass at the same value, and which they call the Quatrostampe: these are the Louis-d'ors, the Pi­stol of Spain, the Pistol of Genoa, and that of Florence, which are of the same weight and Coined of Gold of twenty two Carrats, with two grains of allay. All other Pi­stols are current there, at some­what less value. Their Genuines [Page 81] of Silver are in great esteem in Savoy, and pass as far as Lyon: but on this side of it, there are few of them to be seen, though there be few pieces of coined Silver in Eu­rope that equal them in goodness.

There are three sorts of Per­sonsThree sorts of Persons. in Genoa: the least in num­ber, but the most powerful are the Nobles,The Nobles. who govern the States and possess great Estates, and con­siderable Inheritances in the Ter­ritories of the Catholick King; which links them close to the Crown of Spain, by an indispen­sable necessity of Interests. And they who engage not blindly in that stronger side, have little share in the Government, and cannot but be much dissatisfied with the present State.

The second sort is that of the Merchants,The Mer­chants. who mind nothing but their Trade: These have na­turally a Republican Soul; but they are onely wedded to Spain [Page 82] by the consideration of the profi­tableness of their Commerce, which if it succeeded under the protection of another Sovereign, they would by degrees fall off from the Spaniards.

They have a pretty good in­clination to France, upon account that they think Justice there im­partially distributed without di­stinction of Persons, whereas at Genoa they feel a Tyranny, which is so much the more uneasie, that it increases as fast as the Nobles who compose the State do mul­tiply.

The last sort, the weakest, and yet the greatest, is made up of the Populace, the Artificers and the Poor; who not only through the common inclination which misery gives, desire a change, in hopes of bettering their condi­tion: but likewise, I may say, would be willing to be under the protection of France, upon more honourable Motives.

All the Forces of Genoa consist in six Galleys which they con­stantly entertain, and to which of late they have added four new ones, for reasons well enough known to all Europe.

They have laid up the two great Men of War which con­veyed their Merchant Ships for the Trade of Spain: And this they have done upon the resent­ment of a secret displeasure they conceived, and which they ex­pressed to Captain Palavicini, who going to Spain suffered his Ships to be visited. For there is no Nation in the World more haughty and vain than the Ge­noese. The Pride of the Genoese. They are nevertheless re­solved to fit out three Men of War, in place of those two which they have unrigged.

There are,Their Ship­ping. as I have already said, ten or twelve great Ships well equipped belonging to pri­vate Persons, wherewith they [Page 82] trade into the Levant, the West, and Africa; and in the two Ri­viera's there are about three hun­dred Barks great and small, and two hundred Coralines, which are onely employed in fishing for Coral upon the Coasts of Corsica and Sardinia.

The two Riviera's or Coasts of Liguria can furnish six or seven thousand good Seamen: And if all the Militia of the main Land were raised, it's thought they might amount to fifty or three­score thousand vigorous and har­dy Men able to carry Arms, and who want nothing but discipline and exercise. On the West side the Men are Richer but not so Warlike, and those on the East side are poorer but better Soldiers. Corsica also can furnish a Militia of fifteen thousand good Men.

There are in Genoa an hundred and fifty Families of rich and powerful Nobles, who for most [Page 83] part follow Merchandising; but these one hundred and fifty are properly reduced to fourscore and ten, or thereabouts; for some of them are but branches of other Families. As for Merchants, there are at least three hundred very rich Families: They have all sumptuous Palaces, Country Houses, delightful Gardens, cost­ly Furniture, rich Tapistry, much Plate, exquisite Pictures, excel­lent Statues, and their Wives are always cloathed in cloth of Gold, covered with Jewels and precious Stones.

The Nobility is divided into the Ancient and the new:Nobility here­tofore adopt­ed. the Offices of State are always filled by half of the one and half of the other, and the Doge is chosen out of the two by turn. In the year 1528. when Genoa having revolt­ed from France, established a new form of Government, a Register of the Nobility was made, in a [Page 84] Book which they called the Gol­den Book, wherein all that were Ancient were recorded. There they inserted eight and twenty Families which composed it. The new Nobility is far more nume­rous, and was established by a permission given to the Ancient Nobility to adopt to these twenty eight, other Plebeian Families. And according to that aggrega­tion or adoption, they were and are daily still inserted in the gol­den Book. It is also to be ob­served that many who were of the Ancient Nobility, having neg­lected in the year 1528. to cause themselves to be inserted, have onely place amongst the new, as the Justiniani: and that many of the new, for want of insertion, have lost their Priviledges, though their Children be without dispute received at Malta.

Of the twenty eight Families of the Ancient Nobility, there are [Page 85] four which without contradiction are the chief, to wit, the Families of the

• Fieschi,
• Spinola,
• Grimaldi,
• Doria.

The House of the Fieschi's, whereof Don John-Louis Mario who fled into France and lives there, is the Head, is at present the lowest of the four in Riches and Power, tho the most Noble and Illustrious: they descend from the Ancient Sovereign Counts of Lavagra, who issued from the Ancient Dukes of Bur­gundy, whose Arms they still re­tain, having onely changed the Colours, which was heretofore often enough practised by youn­ger Brothers. They possessed se­veral considerable Estates in Italy, where they were perpetual Vi­cars of the Empire, Admirals of Liguria, and coined Money. [Page 86] There have been two Popes of that Family, and an incredible number of Cardinals. The Counts of Savoy at present Dukes, the Counts of Montferrat, and the Dukes of Milan, from whom all Christian Princes spring by the Mother side, have allied with the House of Fieschi. Histories are full of the glorious Exploits of Generals of Armies which it hath produced: but there can be no better proof of the gran­deur of that illustrious Family, than the priviledges which were preserved to it in a Treaty of Peace made by advice of the Duke of Milan in the year 1453. betwixt the Count Philip the chief of that House, and the Re­publick of Genoa; wherein amongst other Articles it is agreed upon, that he shall always have place by the side of the Doge, and the same honours; that most part of Offices shall be granted, one half [Page 87] by the Doge, and the other half by the Count of Fieschi; that he shall establish as well as the Doge, his Notaries, and Podestats; and that he shall have his Forces and Garisons.

These four chief Families have been always divided into two Parties:The division of the four Families. The Fieschi's and Gri­maldi's have supported the fa­ction of the Guelphs, and espoused the Interests of France: but the Spinola's and Doria's have sided with the Gibellin Party, and sticking close to Spain, have ac­quired two Grandeeships in it, seeing the Prince of Melfi and the Duke of Tursis Grandees of Spain, are of the House of Doria: and the Marquess de los Balbaces, and the Duke of San-pietro are of the Family of Spinola. As for the Grimaldi, it is above six hundred years since the Head of their Family was Sovereign of Monaco: but the Fieschi's have [Page 88] been strip'd of all since the en­terprise of the year 1547. And they have no more now remain­ing but the hopes of the French King's protection, to restore them to their Estates unjustly usurped.

The other four and twenty Families of the Ancient Nobility are the Families of the

• Cibo,
• Lomellini,
• Roeres,
• Negrons,
• Catanees,
• Palavicins,
• Imperiali,
• Centurions,
• Mari,
• Serra,
• Piquenots,
• Leccari,
• Salvaggi,
• Pavezes,
• Cigales,
• Rapasquieres,
• Pinelles,
• Marini,
• Grilli,
• Gentilli,
• Negri,
• Ʋsodimari,
• Malaspini,
• Vivaldi.

And amongst the Families of the new Nobility, there are four Chief, which vie in Quality [Page 89] with those of the Ancient; and these are

The

• Justiniani,
• Sauli,
• Franchi,
• Fornaci.

The others that came to my khowledg during my abode in Genoa, are the

• Adorni,
• Inbrees,
• Saluzzi,
• Franzoni,
• Federici,
• Paggi,
• Viali,
• Doughi,
• Torilles,
• Cazelles,
• Balbi,
• Raggi,
• Torre,
• Duraz,
• Bassadone,
• Carmagnoles,
• Zoagli,
• Brignoles,
• Balians,
• Odons,
• Sophranes,
• Carpenius,
• Gropallo,
• Scaglia,
• Tiscornes,
• Moneilles,
• Castagnoles,
• Morans,
• [Page 90]Fosses,
• Androvins,
• Biasses,
• Prato,
• Costaguts,
• Guani,
• Garibaldi,
• Caze,
• Pietra-Rag­gia,
• Garbarins,
• Mercanti,
• Levanti,
• Calvi,
• Clavezani,
• Ferrari,
• Ricci,
• Poveroto,
• Gritta,
• Tasso,
• Caregges,
• Restoro,
• Monzia,
• Maineri,
• Oliva,
• Ansaldi,
• Nuovo Paffiiani,
• Gievardi,
• Airoldi.
• Passaggi,
• Chiavari.

Others there may be, of which I have not been informed.

The Custom-House is always provided of all sorts of Commo­dities, as Silk, Sugars, Spice, cloth of Gold, silken and wool­len Stuffs, and of every thing that necessity or luxury requires.

The Port is much frequented by English and Dutch, who trade [Page 91] with the City of Genoa, in Silks, Oil, Velvet, Damask, Honey, Wax, and Commodities of the Levant.

The most considerable Forts of the Terra firma or main Land are Savona, Gavi, Sarzana, and the Fort St. Marie, in the Gulf delle Spetie; and in Corsica they have Calvi, Boniface, and Aiazzo; but the whole State hath not both by Sea and Land six hun­dred Piece of brass Cannon.

The Garison of Genoa exceeds not two thousand five hundred Men,This was writ­ten before Genoa was Bombed by the French. who have never seen the fire of an Enemy nor a Mortar-piece play; its Walls towards the Land side and Mountains, are two French Leagues in extent, they make a double enclosure, of which the outermost is almost wholly cut out of the Rock, but the Ditch of it is narrow and shal­low, and the Covert-way is so far from being large, that two [Page 92] Men cannot pass it a breast, be­sides that the Works which de­fend the Town, the Gates and Posts which of necessity must be furnished, require as many to defend it, as are necessary to at­tack the same.

In bringing succours from the Milanese, there is a necessity of marching through a great many narrow passes, in the Mountains that divide their States, and two or three thousand Dragoons post­ed in the avenues of these Passes, would be enough to hinder all relief: Men may land not onely without Musquet shot, but it is easie for them also in landing to lodge under Covert, either on the side of Bizagne, or on the side of S. Peter des Arenes. Batteries may be raised betwixt the Fanal and the new Mole without the reach of any assault, which would bat­ter down the City on all sides; besides, there is nothing more [Page 93] easie, than to cut the Aqueducts which make the Milns to go and furnish the City with fresh water, so that the People without Bread and Water, starved with hunger and thirst, would quickly cry for Peace, the whole City is also full of common Sewers and subterra­nean Vaults which discharge themselves into the Sea, and no­thing hinders but Mines and o­ther Engines may be made to play, which would overthrow the Walls that cross those Sewers, and make in them as many breaches as might be thought fit: from whence it may be conclu­ded that that City is supported more by its name, haughtiness, and outward appearance, than by any solid strength.

That Republick then, though exceeding rich, is notwithstand­ing in it self very weak for two reasons: First, Because the pro­found Peace it hath for a long [Page 94] time enjoyed, has inured the People to softness and luxury; and secondly, because though the private Persons be extreme weal­thy, yet the Revenues of the State are but very moderate, and it is no easie matter in Common-wealths to impose new Taxes for defraying the charges of War, which always displeases the Peo­ple who are naturally inclined to rest. But to remedy this weak­ness which the Genoese themselves are sensible enough of, they are so straitly linked in Interest with the Spaniards, that they will al­ways be supported with all the Forces of that Kingdom. That strict Alliance is founded not onely, on what I have already said, of the great Estates which the Genoese possess in the Terri­tories of the Catholick King; but also because the Milanese borders upon the States of Ge­noa; and that Final, Final. which be­longs [Page 95] to the Spaniards, is a place apart, and situated betwixt Al­begnao and Savona, in the middle of the States of this Republick, which inviron it on all hands: so that Milan can have no commu­nication with that important Maritime place, but by passing through the Lands of Genoa, which are bordered on the West by the Mountains of Piemont; The limits of the State of Genoa. on the North by Montferrat and the Milanese; on the East by the States of the Dukes of Florence and Parma; and on the South, by the Sea of Liguria.

Some time before the Pyrenean Peace, the Spaniards fearing that the French might seize Final, proposed to sell it to the Genoese: the price was agreed upon;Genoa bar­gains for Final. but the Marquess de los Balbaces a Grandee of Spain of the House of Spinola, as a faithful Subject, preferring the Interest of the King he served, before that of his own [Page 96] Country, opposed it. He was Counsellour of State for the Af­fairs of Italy, and with much vigour and stedfastness he repre­sented, that if Final were aban­doned, and the Genoese should afterwards break with Spain, it would be impossible to send re­lief in to the Milanese: but that if the Genoese should abandon Spain, relief might always be sent by Final, and Montferrat, with­out being obliged to them. His reasons were good, because at that time Montferrat was not in the hands of the French: but if at present Genoa abandoned Spain, Milan would be without relief; because to go from Final to Mi­lan, Montferrat being shut, there is a necessity of passing through the State of Genoa. The advice of Los Balbaces was followed:And is disap­pointed. the Treaty of Final was broken off; and the Genoese thereupon conceived so great indignation [Page 97] against Balbaces their Country­man, that they deprived him of all his priviledges, which were to go with his Servants armed, to have the Cushion at Church, and to be visited by the Nobility without the permission of the Doge: which obliged him whol­ly to renounce Genoa, and to settle in Spain.

Final then, is one of the chief links that unites Genoa with the Catholick King. Nevertheless, what Efforts soever Spain makes in favour of that Republick, yet it can give them but very mode­rate assistances by Land; because it can onely help them with the Forces of the Milanese which it dares not ungarison. But by Sea it can defend them with all the Galleys of the Squadrons of Naples, Sicily, Sardinia and Spain. So that provided a powerful Prince who intended to attack Genoa, had a Fleet strong enough [Page 98] to give a check to the Naval forces of Spain, it would be easie for him by Piemont and Montferrat to assault that Republick by Land, and in a short time to triumph over its pride, with a smaller number of men than one may imagine; and so much the rather that Commerce being the Soul of that Republick, a Fleet cruising before their Harbours, would no sooner interrupt their Trade, but that the People and Artificers would be reduced to extremity; besides that Genoa, the Country furnishing but very little Corn, is obliged to supply it self from Sicily and Africa by Sea; and that finding themselves besieged by Land, and blocked up by Sea, with little relief from the Forces of the Milanese, and out of con­dition of being revictualled from any where else, it would quickly be reduced to the last pinch, ha­ving but very few standing Sol­diers, [Page 99] and the Militia of the Coun­try altogether undisciplined.

But if the Nobility as well as People of Genoa, could be once cleared of the false notions they have conceived of a Government contrary to that under which they live; if once they could be persuaded that the Republican yoke gives instead of one lawful Master, an hundred insatiable Tyrants, that it is a Hydra of many Heads, which seldom agree in their resolutions; that a King governs alone, in imitation of the Deity; whereas popular As­semblies are for the most part but a confused Babylon; that by an inclination of Nature which tends always to perfection, all Repub­licks soon or late terminate in a Monarchy, as heretofore Rome, and Florence in later days furnish the Genoese with almost a dome­stick instance: if they would also call to mind that they freely [Page 100] gave themselvs over to Charles VI. and his Successours upon condi­tions religiously observed on the part of our Kings, who by con­sequent are their true and lawful Sovereigns: If to all these Rea­sons, they added serious refle­ctions upon the incomparable Virtues of the greatest King that ever France had; and that touch­ed with a remorse for a revolt that made them shake off his Dominion, they would sincerely return under his Royal Protecti­on, to what pitch of grandeur might not that rich Republick advance? what Traffick might not the Genoese aspire to, under the triumphant banner of France? and what Corsaires durst appear in the Mediterranean, when our Squadrons joined to twenty Gal­leys that Genoa might entertain, should cruise from Europe to A­frica against these infesters of the Seas?

I say that Genoa, which com­monly sends out but six Galleys, might easily maintain not onely twenty, but also six men of War at least; to convey their Merchant Ships, if that Republick were again under the protection of the Kings of France: for seeing then they could have no cause to fear a War from their Neighbours, all their Revenues might be wholly employed in Navigation, that they might become Masters of all the Trade of the Mediterra­nean, and successfully carry it on as far as the East and West Indies. And as the Nobles of Genoa are extraordinarily rich, and have no less Wit and Courage than Wealth, what employments might not they render themselves capable of under a King, who with wonderful exactness knows how to discern the merit of his Sub­jects, and who would furnish them with continual occasions of cul­tivating [Page 102] a genius, that is dastar­dized by pleasures, and of em­ploying a Courage, which by an unactive Peace languishes in idle­ness? The principal Dignities of the State, the highest Commands in the Army the considerable Of­fices of the Kingdom, would be as much the recompences of their merit, as of their sincere submis­sions; and it would be a pleasant thing to see them share in the good fortune and glory of a State, whose Interests would go hand in hand with their own. Genoa and Marseilles united under the Standard of the Flower-de-luce, would give the Law from Cadiz to the Dardanelles, keep all Barbary in awful respect, and make the Sul­tan, tremble even in the Seraglio of Constantinople. The Treasures of the Ligurians, would daily in­crease by the free Trade that they might have in their own hands: and that great Commerce draw­ing [Page 103] into the Coffers of the King's Subjects all the Money of Europe, would render his own the more inexhaustible for the enlarge­ment of that high Power to which his Virtues buoyed up by extraordinary fortune have raised him. May Heavens grant that that invincible Monarch may reunite to his Crown that pre­cious Flower, which a revolt heretofore struck out of it, and that Louis the Great and the Ge­noese may contend who shall have the better on't; he by Clemency, and they by profound Submis­sions.